Sister Margherita Marin, the nun who found John Paul I dead, “There were three sheets of paper, I remember a Gospel quotation”
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On his deathbed, Pope Luciani “was holding three typescript sheets of paper in his hands. Of those pages I remember a quotation, the Gospel passage in which we speak of gluttons and drunkards...”. Sister Margherita Marin, 76 years old, of the Sisters of Maria Bambina, is the only survivor of the group of four sisters - the others were Elena Maggi, Vincenza Taffarel and Cecilia Tomaselli – who took care of John Paul I in the pontifical apartment in the Vatican, from the end of August to the end of September 1978, for exactly 32 days. At the time of Luciani’s election, she was 37 years old and was the youngest, and nobody knew anything about her until Stefania Falasca’s book “Papa Luciani. Chronicle of a Death “(Piemme) went public. Falasca reconstructs for the first time the last days of life of the Venetian Pontiff on the basis of some unpublished documents pertaining to the cause of beatification. Sister Margherita on Sunday 10 December participated in the presentation of the book in the seminary of Belluno, attended by Bishop Renato Marangoni and Fr Davide Fiocco, who followed the process of the cause for the diocese. Here are the religious’ answers to our questions.
Had you met Luciani before? What were your mansions in the pontifical apartment?
I had not met him before. Two days after his election we joined his “family”. In particular, I oversaw the wardrobe and the sacristy, I prepared the apartment’s chapel for the morning mass celebration. But I also carried out other services when needed. Sister Cecilia was the cook, Sister Vincenza was a nurse, while Sister Elena coordinated our work, she was the group leader. Sister Vincenza Taffarel, who was also a nurse, was the oldest, she knew the Pope and had been assisting him for many years.
Can you tell us how Pope Luciani was doing? Is it true, as it has been written, that he looked worried and even crushed by the weight of the pontificate?
He was not worried at all, he inserted himself well into the new task entrusted to him. I repeat, no worries. He worked a lot, he would walk around the apartment, we saw him very much absorbed by his commitments, but not worried. He was absolutely not crushed by the responsibility he had received. He had such confidence. He told us, “Pray Sisters! Pray because the Lord has given me a great task, I need the prayers of all, and also yours. Together, thanks to these prayers, I carry on the task that the Lord has given me.
There are those who speculate that he died of a broken heart, in the face of the financial scandals found in the Vatican....
I can only testify to what I have seen and I repeat: neither worried nor crushed by responsibility.
Let’s talk about the last day of the Pontiff’s life on 28 September 1978. What memories do you have of that day?
It was a normal day. In the morning, in the chapel, Mass was at seven o’ clock. Then the Pope took a look at the newspapers and finally retired to his studio, because he had to write a document for the bishops. He spent the rest of the morning working at his desk. Then there was lunch...
Sorry for the interruption but, can you tell us if John Paul I was following a particular diet?
Absolutely not. He ate what the others ate and that Sister Cecilia prepared for all of us with the shopping that was brought to the apartment with the elevator at 5.30 in the morning. He did not follow any particular diets.
Please continue with your memories of that September 28th.
After lunch, there was as always, a short break. Then during the afternoon, the Pope continued to work walking around the apartment. I know this because I was in the wardrobe room and was ironing. I saw him go back and forth, holding a book in his hand and reading. Then at a certain point he stopped and leaned on my table to write something. He was always very affable with us nuns. He told me, “Sisters, I make you work lot of work here. It’s so hot and I sweat.... Don’t waste too much time ironing shirts, just the collar and wrists are enough, because the rest is not visible...
Did he speak to you in Italian or Venetian dialect?
In Venetian, he said that in dialect. Then in the evening he recited the vespers in the chapel with the secretaries. He recited them in English, to learn the language. In the evening, he dined normally. And as usual, after dinner, he came to wish us nuns goodnight in the kitchen. He asked me what Mass I had prepared for the next morning. I said that the next day, September 29th, was the anniversary of the holy angels. And he said, “Good, so tomorrow morning, if the Lord wishes, we shall celebrate together”. He was serene, quiet, he did not seem fatigued. He was about to leave, but stopped on the threshold and greeted us again. That evening before retiring, he spoke on the telephone with Cardinal Giovanni Colombo, Archbishop of Milan. The call lasted half an hour.
What happened the morning after? Can you tell us?
We Sisters would wake up at 5, at 5:15 a.m. we would be up. Sister Vicenza would prepare coffee for the Pope, I would wait for the groceries that would come with the elevator at 5.30 a. m. At 5 and a half a. m. the Holy Father would go and take his coffee in the sacristy of the chapel and then pray until 7 a. m., when Mass began. That day the Pope had not come out. Sister Vincenza had seen that coffee was still there and had not been touched. I remember that we were both in the hallway of the apartment and she told me: “Come, let’s try knocking on the door, the Holy Father has not yet come out”. She went on to knock. No one answered...
What time was it?
It had to be about 5.30 am, more or less. She invited me to go closer. She told me: “Come, come....”. Perhaps she had some sort of feeling, I don’t know. Sister Vincenza went in first, and I heard that she said: “Holiness, you should joke with me like that”. She called me and I also went inside. I also saw that he was dead, motionless lying flat on the bed. The light was on and the Pope was wearing glasses. He was holding three typescript sheets, his hands were resting on his chest, as it happens to those who fall asleep while reading. He had no suffering face, he was lying down, with a slight smile, it seemed as if he was sleeping. He died without realizing it, there was no sign, it must have been something lightning quick.
Did you see the content of the papers that the Pope was holding in his hand? For decades, there has been all kinds of speculation…
I have only this memory: on the typewritten sheets, I could see a couple of lines. It was the Gospel passage where the words “glutton” and “drunkard” are quoted...”.
Does it refer to Matthew 11:18-19? The passage that reports these words of Jesus:” For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”?
Yes, I remember that. I think he was reading to prepare for the Angelus on the following Sunday or for Wednesday’s audience.
