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.