Pope John Paul II: The Biography

by TadSzulc (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1996

  $11.83

  Pope John Paul is the spiritual head of nearly one billion believers and a world statesman of immense influence. And yet, at the age of 75, and in the 17th year of his papacy, he remains a mystery, theologically, politically and above all, personally, presenting a contradiction between his powerful advocacy of human rights everywhere and his conservative stance on the social tenets of the Catholic faith. This biography looks behind the papal figurehead to the man himself and the influences that have shaped his life. From the deaths of his mother and brother before he reached adolescence, to the appalling hardships endured by all Poles during World War II, Karol Wojtyla's early years were threaded with suffering. But, this book reveals, even as a young boy his deep sense of spirituality led him to find comfort in his faith and the Church.

• Used

  Hardcover
  1995

  $3.25

  As spiritual leader of nearly a billion Catholics, and head of the oldest universal organization, Pope John Paul II wields enormous international power and influence. Yet he is a mystery - intellectually, theologically and politically. His intellectual achievements and erudition render his inexorably conservative posture on issues such as contraception and the all-male priesthood hard to comprehend when contrasted with his dedication to social justice in the Third World and among the poor and the affluent West. This biography is based on access to the Pope's papers, friends, colleagues, and John Paul himself. It includes coverage of the drama of his secret involvement in the developing relationship between the Vatican and Israel, and the story of his election as Pope, revealed by Cardinals who were present.