Cardinal Lamberto left Rome with a large sum of money and several documents. Fearing that their corruption will be exposed, Keinszig, Lucchesi, and Gilday plot to murder the Pope. Gilday poisons the pontiff's tea, killing him in his sleep. The character of Lamberto and the film's depiction of the events which led to his murder are based upon one of the conspiracy theories surrounding the sudden death of the real-life Pope John Paul I, Albino Luciani. Like the Lamberto character, Luciani was discovered dead in his bed in 1978, 33 days after his election to the papacy. Various theories, such as the
Pope Romanus Pope Romanus Pope Romanus (died November 897) was Pope from August to November 897. Romanus was the supposed nephew of Pope Marinus I. Romanus, whose personal name is unknown, was born in Gallese, Italy near Civita Castellana. Romanus was son of Constantine. He was installed as the cardinal of St. Peter ad Vincula prior to his election to the papacy. Romanus was elected to succeed the murdered Pope Stephen VI during a period when the papacy was fought over by various Italian factions. Pope Stephen VI was murdered after exhuming Pope Formosus's corpse for the posthumous Cadaver Synod, in which