Popes who died within One-Year of Reign [Full List]

A book alleges an unholy linkage between the angel and the devil, imputing dark secrets – The Vatican and the Mafia. 

But this book, programmed to shock all, not only portrays elements of the Vatican and the Mafia as firm business and social buddies, but it goes on to insinuate in an authoritative way, that one of the Popes paid the Supreme price when he took office in 1978 and set about battling the incongruous and ungodly relationship.

In brief, it went like this, says the book.
In 1963, Cardinal Montini was made the Pope and became Paul VI. By 1978 when he allegedly died of heart attack, he and other top Cardinals on the Holy See were deeply hands-in-gloves with Michele Sidona and Roberto Calvi; the former, a member of the Mafia and the latter, an apostle of the crime network who always carried Mario Puzo’s The Godfather as he would the Bible.

When Pope Paul VI died, Cardinal Albino Luciano, also an Italian, became Pope John Paul I. John Paul I had waited for the day when he would be in a position to rid the City of God of the malignant cancer called the Mafia. It was for this very reason, says the book, that John Paul I lasted only 33 days in office, thus becoming the only Pope to die within one year in office in 373 years. Speculations were rife when the shocked world was told that he died of heart attack. Few, however, had murder in their minds. Fewer still, had the Mafia in their subconscious.

Apart from Pope John Paul I, below is the full list of Popes who died within One-Year of Reign….

Name                  Place of Birth         Reign

St. Eusebius       Greece                     309 AD
Boniface III        Rome                       607 AD
Severimis           Rome                       640 AD
Sisinnius            Syria                         708 AD
Valentine           Rome                        877 AD
Boniface VI        Rome                        896 AD
Romanus           Gallese                      897 AD
Leo V                  Andrea                     903 AD
Leo VI                 Rome                        928 AD
John XVII           Rome                        1003 AD
Sylvester III       Rome                       1045 AD
Benedict IX        Rome                       1045 AD
Damasus            Bavaria                   1048 AD
Gregory VIII      Benevento              1187 AD
Celestine IV       Milan                       1241 AD
BL. Innocent V  Savoy                       1276 AD
Adrian VI           Genoa                      1276 AD
John XXI             Portugal               1276-77AD
St. Celestine       Isernia                     1294 AD
Pius III                Siena                        1503 AD
Marcelius II       Montepulciano      1555 AD
Urban VII           Rome                       1590
Gregory XIV       Cremona             1590-91AD
Innocent IX        Bologna                    1591 AD
Leo XI                  Florence                   1605
John Paul I          Torno di Canale      1978

Culled from TSM, 1993.