Editing Paul Marcinkus (section)

==Controversial Allegations==

Pope John Paul I and Emanuela Orlandi Marcinkus’s name surfaced in two high-profile controversies, both unproven but persistent in conspiracy theories. First, some authors, notably David Yallop in In God’s Name (1984), hypothesized that Marcinkus, along with Cardinal Jean Villot, Cardinal John Cody, Licio Gelli, and Roberto Calvi, was involved in the death of Pope John Paul I, who died of a heart attack in 1978 after a 33-day pontificate. Yallop claimed John Paul I planned to reform Vatican finances, including replacing Marcinkus, and was poisoned to prevent these changes. This theory was supported by mafia turncoat Vincenzo Calcara’s statements to judge Paolo Borsellino, but historian John Cornwell’s Like a Thief in the Night refuted it, concluding John Paul I died naturally, overwhelmed by his role. No credible evidence supports the poisoning claim, and official reports confirm a heart attack. X posts perpetuate this theory, alleging Marcinkus helped assassinate John Paul I after the pope discovered financial misconduct, but these remain speculative.

Second, in 2008, Sabrina Minardi, former girlfriend of Banda della Magliana gang leader Enrico De Pedis, claimed Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old Vatican employee’s daughter kidnapped in 1983, was killed on Marcinkus’s orders. Investigators noted the accuracy of some details, as reported by La Repubblica, but Orlandi’s family and authorities remained skeptical, citing Minardi’s history of drug abuse. No evidence substantiates Marcinkus’s involvement, and X posts repeating this claim are inconclusive.