{"id":8908,"date":"2012-10-30T18:11:27","date_gmt":"2012-10-30T23:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/?p=8908"},"modified":"2016-09-30T15:58:34","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T20:58:34","slug":"happy-100th-birthday-to-the-smiling-pope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/2012\/10\/happy-100th-birthday-to-the-smiling-pope\/","title":{"rendered":"Happy 100th Birthday to the Smiling Pope!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>Pope John Paul I, had he lived, would have been 100 years old on October 30, 2012.<\/p>\n

Bishop Albino Luciani had been Patriarch of Venice for nine years when he was elected to the papacy in 1978, succeeding the deceased Pope Paul VI.\u00a0 He was quickly dubbed \u201cThe Smiling Pope,\u201d popular with the public for his gentle disposition and winsome smile. \u00a0He took the name of Pope John Paul.<\/p>\n

But the new Pontiff served only 33 days in the papacy before his unexpected death on September 28, 1978.\u00a0 In that brief time, he published no encyclicals and convened no councils.\u00a0 He did, however, give several major addresses.<\/p>\n

On September 21, just a week before he died, he spoke to a group of visiting U.S. Bishops.\u00a0 A self-described \u201cbeginner\u201d in the papacy, he sought to choose topics that deeply touched the life of the Church, and topics which would be very relevant to his guests\u2019 episcopal ministry.\u00a0 He spoke about the family.<\/p>\n

The Christian family is so important,<\/em> he explained, and its role is so basic in transforming the world and in building up the kingdom of God, that the council called it a \u201cdomestic church.\u201d\u00a0<\/em> He encouraged the American bishops to never grow tired of proclaiming the family as a community of love.<\/p>\n

The Pope continued:<\/p>\n

We were all given the great gift of being born into such a community of love: it will be easy for us to uphold its value. And then we must encourage parents in their role as educators of their children \u2014 the first catechists and the best ones. What a great task and challenge they have: to teach children the love of God, to make it something real for them. And by God\u2019s grace, how easily some families can fulfill the role of being a \u201cprimum seminarium\u201d (Optafam Totius, 2): the germ of a vocation to the priesthood is nourished through family prayer, the example of faith and the support of love.<\/em><\/p>\n

What a wonderful thing it is when families realize the power they have for the sanctification of the world: the mutual sanctification of husband and wife and the reciprocal influence between parents and children.<\/em><\/p>\n

And then, by the loving witness of their lives families can bring Christ\u2019s Gospel to others. A vivid realization of the sharing of the laity \u2014 and especially the family \u2014 in the salvific mission of the church is one of the greatest legacies of the Second Vatican Council. We can never thank God enough for this gift. It is up to us to keep this realization strong, by supporting and defending the family \u2014 each and every family. Our own ministry is so vital: to preach the word of God and to celebrate the sacraments. It is from them that our people draw their strength and joy. Ours too is the role of encouraging families to fidelity to the law of God and the church. We need never fear to proclaim all the exigencies of God\u2019s word, for Christ is with us and says today as before: \u201cHe who hears you hears me'\u201d (Lk. 10:16).<\/em><\/p>\n

In particular, the indissolubility of Christian marriage is important. Although it is a difficult part of our message, we must proclaim it faithfully as part of God\u2019s word, part of the mystery of faith. At the same time we are close to our people in their problems and difficulties. They must always know that we love them. Today we want to express our admiration and praise for all the efforts being made to guard and preserve the family as God made it, as God wants it. All over the world Christian families are trying to fulfill a wonderful calling and we are close to all of them. And priests and Religious are trying to support and assist them \u2014 and all these efforts are worthy of the greatest praise.<\/em><\/p>\n

Our special support goes to those who help couples preparing for Christian marriage by offering them the full teaching of the church and by encouraging them in the highest ideals of the Christian family. We wish to add a particular word of praise also for those, especially priests, who work so generously and devotedly in ecclesiastical tribunals, in fidelity to the doctrine of the church, to safeguard the marriage bond, to give witness to its indissolubility in accordance with the teaching of Jesus, and to assist families in need. The holiness of the Christian family is indeed a most apt means for producing the serene renewal of the church which the council so eagerly desired. Through family prayer, the \u201cecclesia domestica\u201d becomes an effective reality and leads to the transformation of the world.<\/em><\/p>\n

And all the efforts of parents to instill God\u2019s love into their children and to support them by the example of faith, constitute a most relevant apostolate for the 20th century. Parents with special problems are worthy of our particular pastoral care and all our love.<\/em><\/p>\n

Dear brothers, we want you to know where our priorities lie. Let us do everything we can for the Christian family, so that our people may fulfill their great vocation in Christian joy and share intimately and effectively in the church\u2019s mission\u2014Christ\u2019s mission\u2014of salvation. And be assured that you, yourselves, have our full support in the love of the Lord Jesus, and we give you all our apostolic blessing.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pope John Paul I, had he lived, would have been 100 years old on October 30, 2012. Bishop Albino Luciani had been Patriarch of Venice for nine years when he was elected to the papacy in 1978, succeeding the deceased Pope Paul VI.\u00a0 He was quickly dubbed \u201cThe Smiling Pope,\u201d popular with the public for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":556,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-papacy"],"yoast_head":"\nHappy 100th Birthday to the Smiling Pope!<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pope John Paul I, had he lived, would have been 100 years old on October 30, 2012. 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