August 1978 papal conclave - Misplaced Pages

Election of Pope John Paul I

Papal conclave August 1978
Dates and location
25–26 August 1978 Sistine Chapel, Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Key officials
Dean	Carlo Confalonieri
Sub-dean	Paolo Marella
Camerlengo	Jean-Marie Villot
Protopriest	Carlos Carmelo de Vasconcelos Motta
Protodeacon	Pericle Felici
Secretary	Ernesto Civardi
Election
Ballots	4
Elected pope
Albino Luciani Name taken: John Paul I

← 1963 October 1978 →

The papal conclave held on 25 and 26 August 1978 was the first of the two held that year. It was convoked to elect a successor to Paul VI, who had died on 6 August 1978. After the cardinal electors assembled in Rome, they elected Cardinal Albino Luciani, Patriarch of Venice, as the new pope on the fourth ballot. He accepted the election and took the name John Paul I.

It was the first conclave since the promulgation of Ingravescentem aetatem (1970), which made cardinals who had reached the age of 80 by the day the conclave began ineligible to participate in the balloting. There were 15 cardinals excluded by that rule. The number of votes cast for Luciani on the final ballot was so great that even the uniform opposition of these cardinals would not have changed the outcome.

Papabili

Among the papabili, or top candidates, were Sergio Pignedoli, President of the Secretariat for Non-Christians, Giuseppe Siri of Genoa, and Corrado Ursi of Naples. Others named Giovanni Benelli of Florence, until recently Vatican Secretary of State, Sebastiano Baggio, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and non-cardinal Anastasio Ballestrero, Archbishop of Turin. The non-Italian most often mentioned was Johannes Willebrands, Archbishop of Utrecht. Aloísio Lorscheider of Brazil, head of the Episcopal Conference of Latin America, favored Albino Luciani, the Patriarch of Venice, while Luciani is believed to have favoured Lorscheider. Time reported that the Dean of the College, Carlo Confalonieri, who was excluded from participating because of age, had been the first to suggest Luciani.

Proceedings and balloting

The conclave was held for two days from 25 August to 26 August 1978 at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Cardinal John Wright, an official of the Roman Curia, was in the U.S. for medical treatments and unable to attend. Proceedings on 25 August 1978 included a Mass celebrated at St. Peter's Basilica by the cardinal electors for divine guidance in their task to elect Pope Paul's successor. The cardinals processed into the Sistine Chapel six hours later while the chapel choir sang the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus. Monsignor Virgilio Noè, the Papal Master of Ceremonies, gave the traditional command of Extra omnes ("Everybody out!"), the doors were locked, and then the actual conclave began, with Cardinal Villot presiding (as would happen again in October) due to being the senior Cardinal bishop in attendance. The chapel windows remained closed, some sealed, and the summer heat was oppressive. Belgian Cardinal Leo Suenens later wrote: "My room was an oven. My cell was a kind of sauna." The conclave of August 1978 was the largest ever assembled. The traditional canopied thrones were replaced with twelve long tables to accommodate the electors. Karol Wojtyła, Aloísio Lorscheider, and Bernardin Gantin reportedly served as scrutineers during the balloting.

Luciani had told his secretary that he would decline the papacy if elected. During the third ballot, Johannes Willebrands and António Ribeiro, who sat on either side of Luciani, whispered words of encouragement to him as he continued to receive more votes. Jaime Sin told Luciani, "You will be the new pope". Luciani was elected on the fourth ballot and when Jean-Marie Villot asked Luciani whether he accepted his election he replied, "May God forgive you for what you have done" and accepted his election. In honor of his two immediate predecessors, he took John Paul as his regnal name. After the election, when Cardinal Sin paid him homage, the new pope noted: "You were a prophet, but my reign will be a short one".

On 26 August 1978 at 6:24 p.m. local time (4:24 p.m. UTC), the first signs of smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. It was unclear for over an hour whether the smoke was white to indicate a pope had been elected or black to indicate that balloting would continue. Some of the cardinals had personally deposited their notes and tally sheets in the stove, darkening what should have been white smoke. Pericle Felici, as the ranking Cardinal Deacon, then stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and delivered the Habemus Papam in Latin, announcing Luciani's election. At 7:31 p.m. John Paul I appeared on the balcony and gave his blessing. When he appeared about to address the crowd, he was reminded that was not traditional, and he withdrew without speaking further. He invited the cardinal electors to remain in conclave for another night and dined with them, occupying the same chair as he had at their earlier group dinners.

This was the first conclave since 1721 in which three future popes participated–John Paul I, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI–and the first since 1829 in which two did so.

Reported voting tallies

**PAPAL CONCLAVE, AUGUST 1978**
Duration	2 days
Number of ballots	4
Electors	111
Africa	13
Latin America	19
North America	11
Asia	8
Europe	56
Oceania	4
Italians	26
DECEASED POPE	PAUL VI (1963–1978)
NEW POPE	JOHN PAUL I (1978)

Several authors have provided what they claim to be the vote totals at the conclave. Cardinals were not required to destroy notes they took during the conclave.

Yallop tally

As presented by David Yallop, who claims that John Paul I was murdered.

First Ballot: Siri 25, Luciani 23, Pignedoli 18, Lorscheider 12, Baggio 9, scattered 24.
Second Ballot: Siri 35, Luciani 30, Pignedoli 15, Lorscheider 12, scattered 19.
Third Ballot: Luciani 68, Siri 15, Pignedoli 10, scattered 18.
Fourth Ballot: Luciani 99, Siri 11, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Luciani). This ballot (and the alleged murder of John Paul I) appears in the film The Godfather Part III, except that the fictionalized Cardinal Lamberto stands in for Luciani.

Burkle-Young tally

As presented by Francis A. Burkle-Young, based on the notes of Cardinal Mario Casariego, Archbishop of Guatemala City.

First Ballot: Siri 25, Luciani 23, Pignedoli 18, Baggio 9, König 8, Bertoli 5, Pironio 4, Felici 2, Lorscheider 2, and 15 others one each.
Second Ballot: Luciani 53, Siri 24, Pignedoli 15, Lorscheider, Baggio, Cordeiro, Wojtyła 4 each, Felici 3.
Third Ballot: Luciani 92, Pignedoli 17, Lorscheider 2.
Fourth Ballot: Luciani 102, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Luciani), Nemini (no one) 8.

Thomas-Witts tally

As presented by Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts.

First Ballot: same as Burkle-Young's count except 5 votes for Pironio, fourteen candidates with 1.
Second Ballot: Luciani 46, Pignedoli 19, Lorscheider 14, Baggio 11, Bertoli 4, others unspecified.
Third Ballot: Luciani 66, Pignedoli 21, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Aramburu), others unspecified.
Fourth Ballot: Luciani 96, Pignedoli 10, Lorscheider 1 (cast by Aramburu).

According to one report of the balloting, French traditionalist Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre received a small number of votes—variously reported as three or "several"—causing some consternation among the cardinals.

References

Reese, Thomas (1998). Inside the Vatican. Harvard University Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780674418028. Retrieved 22 June 2018. According to Reese, 16 cardinals were excluded from voting because of their age.
Tanner, Henry (7 August 1978). "Pope Paul VI Is Dead of a Heart Attack at 80; Guided the Church Through Era of Change". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
Hofmann, Paul (9 August 1978). "Choice of Non-Italian Pope Held Possible but Unlikely". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
Reese, Thomas (1998). Inside the Vatican. Harvard University Press. p. 93. ISBN 9780674418028. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
"A Swift, Stunning Choice". Time. 4 September 1978.
"Leading U.S. Cardinal To Miss Papal Voting". New York Times. 9 August 1978. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
^ "A look back at the Conclave that elected Albino Luciani Pope". La Stampa. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
Allen Jr., John L. (2 November 2012). "Debunking four myths about John Paul I, the 'Smiling Pope'". National Catholic Reporter.
^ Knowles, Leo (2003). Modern Heroes of the Church. Our Sunday Visitor.
Nossiter, Bernard D. (27 August 1978). "Venice Cardinal Elected Pope". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
Yallop, David (2007). In God's Name. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-553-05073-8. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
Burkle-Young, Frances A. (1999). Passing the Key: Modern Cardinals, Conclaves, and the Election of the Next Popes. Madison Books. pp. 255–257. ISBN 1-56833-130-4.
Thomas, Gordon; Morgan-Witts, Max (1983). Pontiff:The Vatican, the KGB, and the Year of the Three Popes. Doubleday. ISBN 0-451-12951-2.
White, David Allen (2006). The Horn of the Unicorn. Angelus Press. ISBN 189233139X.

External links

"The Conclave: 25 August 1978 – 26 August 1978". John Paul I Blog. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2007.

v t e Papal elections and conclaves
Papal selection before 1059 Papal conclave (1274–1276, 1294–present)
Elections and conclaves	1061 1073 1086 1088 1099 1118 1119 1124 1130 1143 1144 1145 1153 1154 1159 1181 1185 October 1187 December 1187 1191 1198 1216 1227 1241 1243 1254 1261 1264–1265 1268–1271 January 1276 July 1276 September 1276 1277 1280–1281 1285 1287–1288 1292–1294 1294 1303 1304–1305 1314–1316 1334 1342 1352 1362 1370 1378 1389 1404 1406 1417 1431 1447 1455 1458 1464 1471 1484 1492 September 1503 electors October 1503 electors 1513 1521–1522 1523 1534 1549–1550 April 1555 May 1555 1559 1565–1566 1572 1585 September 1590 October–December 1590 1591 1592 March–April 1605 electors May 1605 electors 1621 1623 1644 1655 1667 1669–1670 1676 1689 1691 1700 1721 1724 1730 1740 1758 1769 1774–1775 1799–1800 1823 1829 1830–1831 1846 1878 1903 1914 electors 1922 electors 1939 electors 1958 electors 1963 electors August 1978 electors October 1978 electors 2005 electors 2013 electors
Governing documents (selected)	Ubi periculum (1274) Aeterni Patris Filius (1621) Cum proxime (1922) Ingravescentem aetatem (1970) Romano Pontifici eligendo (1975) Universi Dominici gregis (1996) De aliquis mutationibus in normis de electione Romani Pontificis (2007) Normas nonnullas (2013)
Category