Farewell to the Sister of John Paul I
Some news I have to report with very deep sadness. Antonia (Nina) Luciani Petri, sister of Pope John Paul I, died on June 5, at the age of 89 in her home at San Giuliano di Levico in the province of Trento, Italy. She was the last survivor of Albino Luciani’s brothers and sisters. Her funeral was today, June 8. The condolences expressed by Fr. Federico Lombardi of the Press Room of the Holy See read:
“The last living sister of Pope John Paul I, has been reunited in her heavenly homeland with the brother to whom she was united on earth by the depth of a faith lived in an exemplary way with wisdom, simplicity and a smile.”
Antonia’s daughter Lina, who works in the Vatican Press office, asked for prayer for her mother.
I never met Signora Petri as I did her brother Edoardo, who died last year at the age of 91. But I have had a chance to read her reminiscences about her brother who became Pope – Mio fratello Albino, published by 30 Giorni, based on interviews done with that periodical over the years. Those are very vivid memories, and just reading them made me feel close to her and the family. They are also going to be very useful to me in writing my biography of John Paul I.
Antonia was the youngest child of the family. In particular, she recalled not only her brother’s fidelity to the Church and his pastoral duties as a bishop, but most particularly his sense of humor — and how, when she was a young child, and Albino a seminarian, he used to get her ready for school, and carried her on his shoulders to a nearby Marian shrine. She also recalled the days of the resistance against the Fascists and the Germans, who occupied Northern Italy during World War II, a work in which she and both her brothers were involved. I hope one day to make all this better known to English-speaking readers.
A fond farewell to a simple person who was a very important witness to history.
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Paul Spackman
Thursday, August 20th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Dear Lori,
May name is Paul Spackman… are you aware of my English biography ‘God’s Candidate’, published in the UK last year by Gracewing? I would be interested to correspond with you on some issues.
Best Wishes,
Paul Spackman.
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Lori
Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hi Paul,
Yes, I read your biography early this year. I thought about contacting you many times, but my very pressing work on my St. Elizabeth documentary has precluded almost everything else. But I do plan to take up work on my JPI bio again very soon, and yes, there are many things I’d like to discuss with you.
Please write to me at immaginativa@yahoo.com so we can talk more conveniently
Yours,
Lori Pieper
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Donna Waters
Friday, September 25th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Many years ago I read a book by Pope John Paul I (before he became a pope) about letters he had sent to famous people. I lost the book some time ago and would like to get another copy. Do you know the name of the book and where I can obtain a copy? Donna Waters
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Lori
Sunday, September 27th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Hi Donna,
The book is Illustrissimi: Letters from Pope John Paul I. There are some used copies available on Amazon.com, and I’m sure there will be some on http://www.abebooks.com. That’s a really great site.
Of course, if you don’t want to order online, you might try a large used bookstore. If they don’t have it, they might be able to order it for you.
It’s a great book, and a wonderful window into John Paul I’s soul. You can find more translations of his writings in The Smiling Pope: The Life and Teaching of John Paul I. Just click on the icon of the book on the lower right sidebar for a link to the book on Amazon. I’m planning on publishing more translations of his writings soon. Lori
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Pauli
Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Nice story, thx.
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Lori
Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
You’re welcome.