Ep. 4.25: A Pope in 33 Days: The Brief, Bright Pontificate of John Paul I

In this episode, Monsignor and Teresa close out Chapter Four by tracing the final, turbulent stretch of the Carter years—Three Mile Island, foreign‑policy crises, and even the infamous “swamp rabbit” incident—before turning to a momentous shift in the life of the Church. They recount the shocking kidnapping and murder of Aldo Moro, Pope Paul VI’s grief and final days, and the solemn funeral that drew cardinals and dignitaries from around the world. From there, the story moves inside the Sistine Chapel, where the cardinals—most of them voting in a conclave for the first time—select Albino Luciani as the new pope in only two ballots. Monsignor shares vivid details of the conclave, Cardinal Carberry’s role, and the charming quirks surrounding the election of the man who would become Pope John Paul I, whose gentle spirit and historic choice of name marked a new chapter for the Church—one that would soon change the world.