Editing Paul Marcinkus (section)

==Death and Legacy==
Marcinkus died on February 20, 2006, in Sun City, Arizona, at age 84, of undisclosed causes. His funeral Mass was celebrated by Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, and he was buried at St. Casimir Cemetery in Chicago, alongside his parents and St. Christina’s parishioners. Tributes from friends, including a Legacy.com obituary, praised his warmth, humor, and dedication, predicting history would correct “errors” in his portrayal.

Legacy and Cultural Depictions Marcinkus’s legacy is deeply polarized. Supporters view him as a loyal priest unfairly scapegoated for financial mismanagement beyond his control, citing the Vatican’s $250 million payment as evidence of good faith. Critics, including church historian Alberto Melloni, see his tenure as a stain on the Catholic Church, marked by moral and governance failures. His lack of banking expertise and associations with figures like Sindona and Calvi fueled perceptions of incompetence or complicity. The Ambrosiano scandal and P2 connections remain “one of the most obscure areas of recent Italian history,” with unresolved questions about the Vatican’s role.

Marcinkus’s life inspired several portrayals in media. He was played by Rutger Hauer in the 2002 Italian film The Bankers of God, by Donal Donnelly as Archbishop Gilday (a character widely seen as based on Marcinkus) in The Godfather Part III (1990), and by Jacques Sernas in the 2006 Italian TV series Pope John Paul I: The Smile of God. These depictions often emphasize his controversial financial role and enigmatic persona.