# Pope John Paul I....what happened there?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 25, 2006, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495 "2006-01-25T02:35:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495/21 "2006-01-26T07:35:43Z")

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I think I read somewhere that he was murdered because he was a very liberal pope who was about to allow birth control and abortion. No cite, just something I remember.

Adam

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495/22 "2006-01-26T08:28:44Z")

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> [@Agent Foxtrot](#):
>
> I think I read somewhere that he was murdered because he was a very liberal pope who was about to allow birth control and abortion. No cite, just something I remember.
> 
> Adam

Well, then, it’s absolutely appropriate for inclusion into a GQ thread, isn’t it?

Especially in light of **tomndebb** ’s comment above that JP I’s theology was in no way extreme.

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**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495/23 "2006-01-26T09:15:45Z")

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Here’s a somewhat interesting article about Pope John Paul I, regarding his death and how the Vatican wanted things taken care of and whatnot:  
[http://www.crc-internet.org/oct84.htm](http://www.crc-internet.org/oct84.htm)

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**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495/24 "2006-01-26T15:11:54Z")

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> [@tomndebb](#):
>
> \<snip\>  
> (JP I) was not about to lay open some major scandal regarding the bank (which scandal wound up being opened under the reign of JP II, anyway, and no one murdered _him_). \<snip\>

While I agree with your main point, tomndebb, the fact that JP II was not murdered was a very near thing, as you will no doubt recall. The attempted murderer was just in the news recently upon being released from Italian prison.

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**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\
**Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pope-john-paul-i-what-happened-there/341495/25 "2006-01-26T16:23:46Z")

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I read that he simply forgot to pack his medication amid all the excitement.

Of course, the most memorable part of that whole episode was when Bill Murray took over as co-anchor of Weekend Update: “Vatican announces they’re electing a new Pope. This happened over a month ago!”

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