On the wave of Pope John Paul II's recent extraordinary journeys to places such as Cuba and Israel comes this new, accessible survey of his teachings from one of his closest associates. Father Maciej Zieba, a Pole who came back to Catholicism after studies in physics and activist efforts with Solidarnosc, was ordained as a Dominican priest. Young, media-savvy, and down-to-earth as well as erudite and profound, Father Zieba has become known in Poland as an engaging interpreter of the Pope's teachings. Published here in English are eleven "conversations"--originally interviews conducted for a series of programs on Polish television--on the most important points of John Paul II's teachings. Journalist Adam Pawlowicz represents the reader in dialogue with Zieba, who not only clarifies these teachings but also confronts contemporary critiques. Tackling such complex issues as freedom, democracy, ecumenicalism, and sexuality with grace and equanimity, The Surprising Pope is a major contribution to our understanding of the papacy of John Paul II.

Follow the amazing journey of Pope Francis, whose warmth and humility have made him beloved around the world. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis, from Argentina, is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. Since being elected pope he has shown a humbler, less formal approach to his office than his predecessors: a warm style that has been referred to as "no frills." His common touch and accessibility, as well as his insistence that the church be more open and welcoming, has quickly endeared him not only to Roman Catholics but to millions of others around the world. This title in the New York Times best-selling series includes eighty illustrations that help bring Pope Francis's amazing story to life.

THIS IS A SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION OF AN ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT CONSISTING OF RAW MATERIALS AND THE ACTUAL BUILDING BLOCKS THAT REVEAL "THE MYSTERY OF THE MAKING OF THE POPES." The book has undergone extensive development and this latest update may be considered as an "Unabridged Version" and "A Non-fiction Classic." It awaits additional editing and approval of related materials, prior to the official publication of a future edition. The following is a SYNOPSIS of The Mystery of The Making of The Popes that discloses how a former police officer solves his biggest case, not the case of an ordinary mystery, but of a spiritual mystery, and reveals the amazing role that an ordinary layman plays in the stunning elections of two extraordinary popes, John Paul I and Saint John Paul II. Popes come and go, but the Holy Spirit remains and is the constant key player in the sacred conclaves of the Roman Catholic Church. Seldom before has a chronicle ever encompassed the elusive role of the mystical Spirit as described in this book. The abiding presence of the third person of the Trinity is well demonstrated by revealing the details of this hitherto untold and mystifying story of the surprising elections of two pontiffs. How these popes rose to the throne of Saint Peter serves as a classic portrayal of the movement of the Holy Spirit, the unpredictable factor in every sacred conclave. This charismatic work reaches beyond religious denominations and shows how the Spirit uses the power of God's love to sustain a father's epic struggle to regain his lost son, and how such love miraculously transforms the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church. The story takes the reader on a Psychological Adventure and a Spiritual Journey in life from humble beginnings to heavenly heights -- from the center of North America to the center of Christendom and to the heart of the Vatican. A shroud of mystery and great secrecy surround the elections of the popes of the Catholic Church, but the veil is lifted in this true story that culminates in the startling elections of one pope, and then another. The book describes how God uses this former police officer to bring about a stunning and revolutionary change in the Roman Catholic Church's long-standing tradition of electing Italian popes. It shows how the Church was re-directed on a new path for the future. It is an inspiring testament to the power and influence of the Spirit working in a person's life to bring about an important historical change. But this outcome does not happen without sacrifice and strife. The heart-felt plight of this devoted father intensifies after a family breakdown. The tensions increase when the opinions of an agnostic child psychiatrist clash in a crucial debate over the startling allegation of unusual spiritual involvement in the birth of his son (whose birth eventually leads to the elections of the popes) and this allegation becomes a shattering bone of contention. The dangerous presumptions and smug conclusions of the pseudo-science of psychiatry are exposed, but not before severing and crucifying the bond of love between a father and a son. In the ensuing quest to regain his lost son, he encounters "spiritual warfare" and lays bare the inner workings of a prominent cult. Miraculously, the searing struggle forms the bridge to the Vatican and the surprising elections of "The Unknown Pope" John Paul I, and his saintly successor, the great Pope John Paul II. THE MYSTERY OF THE MAKING OF THE POPES is a unique book of spiritual intrigue and of wide interest -- not only to various denominational and priestly professions, but also to medical and legal experts -- and to anyone who has ever had, or would venture to have, a personal and meaningful experience of faithful and sacrificial love.

A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK The bestselling author of Fatherland and Munich turns to today's Vatican in a ripped-from-the-headlines novel, and gives us his most ambitious, page-turning thriller yet--where the power of God is nearly equaled by the ambition of men. The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth.

This fascinating history of papal politicking over the past 150 years includes an in-depth examination of the most likely candidates for the papacy after John Paul II.

This behind-the-scenes perspective offers a unique opportunity to experience Pope John Paul II's character and reign, as well as a look at the inner workings of the Vatican. French journalist Caroline Pigozzi discovered a man both awe-inspiring and surprisingly warm and generous. Passionately prayerful and unimpressed by pomp and celebrity, John Paul II was the most-traveled and perhaps the most popular of the popes to date: a people's pope. Pigozzi reveals the intimate details of his daily life, his sometimes surprising philosophies, his revolutionary desire for accessibility to ordinary people, and his relentless drive to unify the church. This book unveils, in a friendly and richly informative way, a close-up of the man whose "eyes radiated infinite goodness" and whose life touched so many.

Since 1600, whenever a Pope dies, the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church convene in Rome to elect a successor. The Papal Conclave is an event like no other. Highly secret and conducted behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, it happens about eight times every century. It is an event that has evolved over the centuries and is always filled with high drama: cardinals meeting en masse in their scarlet robes, throngs of the faithful standing watch in St. Peter's Square, the black or white smoke billowing from the chimney signalling the election of a new Pontiff Since secrecy was not heavily invoked until the twentieth century, there is a vast store of rich material to work from and Fred Baumgartner uses it to its utmost detailing the bickering and blatant politicking that goes on behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel in this important and timely book.