Pope John Paul I conspiracy theories John Paul I, he mysteriously dies. In "The Company: A Novel of the CIA" by Robert Littell, Pope John Paul I is murdered by a KGB hired killer. Pope John Paul I conspiracy theories Pope John Paul I died suddenly in September 1978, 33 days after his election. Following contradictory reports about the circumstances of his death and apparent anomalies about the issuing of the death certificate and other procedures, several conspiracy theories have gained currency. Many of these concern the serious corruption in the Vatican Bank (Istituto per le Opere Religiose), possibly linked to Freemasonry, which is forbidden by
Legends surrounding the papacy Legends surrounding the papacy The papacy has been surrounded by numerous legends. Among the most famous are the claims that the papal tiara bears the "Number of the Beast" inscriptions, that a woman was once elected pope, or that the current pope will be the last Pope. The latter claim has been shown to be false for every known pope barring the incumbent; but it remains theoretically possible. One misconception surrounding the papal tiara suggests that the words (Latin for "Vicar of the Son of God") exist on the side of one of the tiaras. The story centres on the