The work “Illustrissimi” will be presented in Venice on Friday 17 May, which contains the imaginary texts of the future John Paul I, published by Messaggero Padova in the critical edition edited by Stefania Falasca and with the preface by Cardinal de Mendonça. The event is promoted by the Giovanni Paolo I Foundation, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture and the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for Venice and the Lagoon
Vatican News
In the lagoon city, which saw him as Patriarch from 1970 to 1978 before ascending to the throne of Peter on 26 August 1978, the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Municipality of Venice and the Lagoon opens the doors, exceptionally, of the Palace Ducale on the occasion of the presentation of the critical edition of the collection of 40 imaginary letters published by Albino Luciani in 1976 when he was patriarch and then as Pontiff with his revision and his imprimatur a few days before his death.
Mendonça: a work to be counted among the classics
The collection entitled “Illustrissimi“ is made up of letters intended for real authors, historical and fictitious figures on current issues in an interactive mix of erudition and clarity, sacred and profane, which for the first time come out with their genesis in a critical edition edited by Stefania Falasca, vice-president of the John Paul I Vatican Foundation and since 2023 postulator of the Cause of canonization. A literary case for Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. He is responsible for the preface to the volume in which he states: “In his definition of classics Italo Calvino writes that ‘a classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say’. It is this, without a shadow of doubt – continues the cardinal – the case of Illustrissimi deserves to be nourished by new generations of readers”.
Also at the presentation was Cardinal Parolin
Presenting the work in the Piovego Hall of the historic headquarters of the Serenissima, at 5pm on Friday 17 May, were Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and President of the John Paul I Vatican Foundation, the Patriarch of Venice Francesco Moraglia, the Superintendent of Archeology , fine arts and landscape Fabrizio Magani. There lectio magistralis it will be held by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça. Moderator of the meeting was Roberto Papetti, director of the newspaper “Il Gazzettino”, on whose pages some of the imaginary letters of the then patriarch Luciani appeared in an initial destination, emblem of his vast cultural education and the close link between the papers of his private archive and the volumes of his personal library.
Reading of some songs and musical performances
The event also includes the reading of passages from some letters from “Illustrissimi”, addressed to Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, to the Roman Giuseppe Gioachino Belli and the Venetian Carlo Goldoni, with the voices of Luisa Andreazza and Fabrizio Pinaffo. Musical pieces from the repertoire of Pachelbel, Beethoven and Vivaldi will also be performed, interpreted by the harpist Gemma Gresele, by the maestro Cecilia Francesca Romana Valente of the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Milan and by the soprano Francesca Polenta of the Santa Cecilia Conservatory of Rome. The musical repertoire will continue during the reception on the Loggia Foscara.
The room containing his books will be dedicated to Luciani
On the occasion of the presentation of “Illustrissimi”, on the afternoon of Friday 17th, at 3.30 pm, Monsignor Francesco Moraglia will dedicate to John Paul I the room which houses the rediscovered volumes of the book collection of John Paul I, partly lost, at the diocesan library of the Patriarchate of Venice. Starting from 2021, the John Paul I Vatican Foundation has launched an ad hoc project for the reconstitution, protection and valorisation of the book collection belonging to Luciani which, together with the papers, becomes a privileged source for studies on his education, work and teaching of John Paul I. With the return of his papers to the Holy See at the Foundation in 2020, the books remained with the Patriarchate so that a living and accessible memory of the “Pope of the smile” remains in Venice.
