Angelo Gugel, who served three popes as a private attendant across five decades in the Vatican, died in Rome on January 15, 2026, at age 90. Born to a farming family in northern Italy in 1935, he began Vatican service in 1955 as a gendarme before working closely with John Paul I, John Paul II, and into Benedict XVI’s papacy. Pope Francis offered condolences to Gugel’s wife and four children, praising his uprightness and Christian witness. His funeral was celebrated January 17 in a Roman church, marking the end of a life defined by discretion, humility, and devotion that reflected decades witnessing pivotal moments in modern Church history.
Angelo Gugel, who spent decades in quiet service to three popes as a Papal Chamber Assistant, died January 15, 2026, in Rome at age 90. His funeral was celebrated two days later in a Roman church, honoring a man colleagues described as faithful, diligent, and remarkably reserved throughout his career in the Vatican.
Born April 27, 1935, in Miane in Italy’s Treviso region, Gugel came from a farming family of peasant background. After spending two years in seminary, he married Maria Luisa Dall’Arche in 1964 and became father to four children: Raffaella, Flaviana, Guido, and Carla Luciana Maria. His Vatican career began in 1955 when he was recruited as a gendarme, though tuberculosis soon interrupted his service, leading to a long convalescence and eventual transfer to the Governorate of Vatican City State.
During the Second Vatican Council, Gugel served as driver for Bishop Albino Luciani, dining at the bishop’s home and becoming known to his family. When Luciani became Pope John Paul I in 1978, Gugel joined as a lay collaborator during the pontiff’s brief thirty-three-day reign. As a fellow Venetian, he was among the last to witness John Paul I’s short life up close and later testified in the beatification process. He recalled trembling legs when called to the Apostolic Palace after John Paul I’s death. Many who knew him said his life reflected forgiveness and humility cultivated through long service and faith.
Gugel served John Paul II for nearly twenty-seven years, beginning with assistance on the Polish pope’s Italian pronunciation for his 1978 inaugural homily. He was present at the May 13, 1981, assassination attempt in St. Peter’s Square, witnessing the bullet hole and the pope on the ground before the rush to Gemelli Polyclinic. Throughout these years, he worked within an atmosphere of trust alongside Cardinal Dziwisz and Polish nuns.
During John Paul II’s pontificate, Gugel’s daughter Carla Luciana Maria was born at 7:15 a.m., the moment of the pope’s Mass Sanctus. Sister Tobiana Sobotka informed the pope at breakfast, prompting him to exclaim “Deo gratias.” On April 27, the pope baptized the child in his private chapel.
Even after retiring during Benedict XVI’s early years, Gugel maintained the discretion his role required, remaining impeccably dressed with sober elegance. Pope Francis recalled his uprightness of life and exemplary Christian witness in offering condolences to his wife and children.
Related Posts
