Pope John Paul I was a secondary protagonist in the movie The Godfather Part III. Originally known as Lamberto he was elected Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in 1979. Lamberto was a Sicilian male who would become a Cardinal by 1979. By then it was obvious that Pope Paul VI was in very poor health. Realizing that the Vatican Bank was being used for corrupt ends, Michael Corleone approached Lamberto to warn him of what was happening, believing that he was in a position to do something about the situation.