I learned something today!

This is a rare feet! With the new Pope being named my curiosity got the best of me and I did some research on where Pope John Paul II got his name from. To my amazement, he took it from Pope John Paul I, who he followed as Pope. But the interesting thing is that Pope John Paul I was only Pope for 33 days, which means that I am now on my forth Pope, not my third! How shocked was I? Extremely, to say the least.

Pope John Paul I took his name from his two predecessors, Pope Paul VI who followed Pope John XXIII. John Paul I was the first Pope to use two names.

However, the most interesting part of this tale is the circumstances surrounding Pope John Paul I's death. From all accounts he was in fairly decent shape for a man of his age back in 1978, yet he died, supposedly, of a common heart attack. To make matters worse he was immediately embalmed and no autopsy was preformed because the church said that they were against one, however, precedent was set nearly 150 years earlier when an autopsy was preformed on Pope Pius VIII when his death was suspected to be murder (evidence was found that he was poisoned). Naturally, this lead to suspicions that fowl play was involved. It was also reported that he was found by one of his secretaries rather than the nun who actually found him. Rumors were spread that smoking played a part in his death, but he was not a smoker! This sordid story gets deeper and deeper, but perhaps doing your own research on the subject will yield a greater understanding than what I am able to spout off at the moment.

Here is a page that might be a little long in the tooth, but provides lots of good info and even greater links: Pope John Paul I

While I despise organized religion I am also enthralled by its heritage. It amazes me that the Church most widely followed in today's world has such a blotchy past full of murder, sex, mystery and intrigue. And to think that god speaks to these people;)