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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

THE SMILING POPE!

I remember going to morning prayer on September 29, 1978 at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore only to learn that the Holy Father had died the night before. I thought they were joking. Pope John Paul I had just been elected and installed as pope a month earlier. We had just witnessed the funeral of Pope Paul VI and the conclave to elect Pope John Paul I.

In those days there was no CNN or Fox news. So the network stations constantly broke into the popular soap operas of that time to announce that the smoke was either black or white or some other color that they couldn't figure out what it meant. The non-Catholic and I suspect some Catholic soap opera fans were none to happy about this!

Pope John Paul I died on this night in 1978. This video is from the day before and one of his very, very few English talks. Please notice how the Holy Father is carried in. I believe Pope John Paul I resurrected this form of travel which Pope Paul VI had chosen not to use. Italian popes are wonderful aren't they?

This is an interesting video and not posted to make fun of the death of Pope John Paul II, but why is a weather reporter reporting on the death of the pope anyway. It would natural lead to an unexpected flub!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

actually no pope Paul VI NEVER abandoned the Sedia Gestatoria before, during, or after the council! It was JPI that refused to used it but it was restored due to massive public outcry! JPII would have none of it despite the public outcry. The picture in the film of the white sedia was on the day it was restored

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Thanks for the correction. Now that you mention that I do vaguely remember that he decided not to use it but then changed his mind. Paul VI toward the end of his life was kept out of sight, but of course the media was different then too as was the world.

Templar said...

The Sedia Gestatoria ha roots going all the way back to Ancient Rome, so of course the "Roman" Church needed to get rid of it in these modern days. I think its got style, sends a message, is ideally suited to protect the Pope from things like the 12-25-09 attacks on the Pope where the use of the Pope-mobile is unpractical, and best of all, like the Maniple is sure to get your Modernist Clergy ranting through a spittle flecked diatribe against Triumphalism.

Anonymous said...

He had such a nice smile and his accented English was charming. I, too, remember the shock of his death. No one knew he was an ill Papa.

rcg

Anonymous said...

No problem Father here is a newscliping on JPI and the sedia I was talking about:
http://www.papaluciani.com/ita/stampa/silla.jpg

Anonymous said...

Growing up with JP II and not seeing the Sedia, I can say now that I prefer the use of the Sedia to continue now in continuity with the past. So it is not an attachement from the past for me but after all considerations it just makes sense..Maybe not outdoors, but for indoor processions, yes, absolutely bring it back please.....