Question 3.49

3.49 What precise memories do you have of John Paul I?

On the day of his death, I was sad and was unable to understand. Why had God chosen this man whom he then called to himself so swiftly? Indeed, I had the greatest difficulty in formulating any sort of answer to this question. But I allowed myself to be enveloped in the mysterious wisdom of the Eternal.

How can God make such a short Petrine ministry fruitful in the Church’s growth and influence? The true value of a life does not depend solely on its length.

Similarly, a very short pontificate can be a defining moment in the life of the Church. God gave those few weeks in the summer of 1978 a marvelous brilliance because John Paul I had the smile, the simplicity, and the radiance of children. His gentleness was so profound that it became a dazzling purity. Given the impurity of some, even in the Church, I think that he did not die in vain.