John Paul I

1 7.2

A Catholic pope who ruled in 1978 for only 34 days and the first to have two names

proper noun

: Juan Pablo I

John Paul I was elected pope in August 1978 but died unexpectedly after only a month in office.

Examples

Pope John Paul I had a very short reign.
John Paul I served as pope for just 34 days.
Historians often discuss the legacy of John Paul I and his impact despite his short reign.
Many Catholics still remember the brief pontificate of John Paul I.
John Paul I was elected pope in August 1978 but died unexpectedly after only a month in office.
Many Catholics still remember the brief pontificate of John Paul I.
Historians often discuss the legacy of John Paul I and his impact despite his short reign.

Surface Forms

John Paul I main

Morphology

John + Paul + I

The sequence 'John Paul I' transparently signals a personal/regnal name (two given names plus an ordinal), so learners who know the words can infer it refers to a specific person called 'John Paul the First'. However, the detailed meaning — that this particular referent is a Catholic Pope who reigned for 34 days and the historical specifics — cannot be derived from the constituents alone and requires factual/world knowledge.

Etymology

John Paul I took his name as pope from the two recent popes, John and Paul, to honor them, and the 'I' shows he was the first to use a double name. He served as pope for only 34 days, so people remember him as the pope with a very 'short' 'reign'.