"...tells the dramatic story of the Pope’s battle with communism in light of new and recently disclosed information and brings to a close Weigel’s landmark portrait of a man who not only left an indelible mark on the Catholic Church, but also changed the course of world history.
"Weigel, with unprecedented access to many Soviet-era documents, chronicles John Paul’s struggle against the dark forces of communism. Moreover, Weigel recounts the tumultuous last years of John Paul’s life as he dealt with a crippling illness as well as the 'new world disorder' and revelations about corruption within the Catholic Church. Weigel’s thought-provoking biography of John Paul II concludes with a probing and passionate assessment of a man who lived his life as a witness to hope in service to the Christian ideals he embraced."
"Weigel explores new information about the Pope's role in some of the recent past's most stirring events, including the fall of communism; the Vatican/Israel negotiation of 1991-92; the collapse of the Philippine, Chilean, Nicaraguan, and Paraguayan dictatorships during the 1980s; and the epic papal visit to Cuba. Weigel also includes previously unpublished papal correspondence with Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Deng Xiaoping, and draws on hitherto unavailable autobiographical reminiscences by the Pope."
A compiliation of weekly addresses given by the Pope in the 1980s. They address the nature of humanity, particularly the relationships between women and men.
"...John Cornwell argues that John Paul's mystical view of history and conviction that his mission has been divinely established are central to understanding his pontificate. Focusing on the period from the eve of the millennium to the present, Cornwell shows how John Paul's increasing sense of providential rightness profoundly influenced his reactions to turbulence in the secular world and within the Church..."
The library's edition is in large print. We also hold this title as an audiobook.
"Darcy O'Brien offers the account of the extraordinary relationship of Karol Wojtyla and Jerzy Kluger - their boyhood in the small Polish town of Wadowice, their separation at the beginning of World War II, their individual experiences under Nazi and Soviet tyranny, and their reunion almost thirty years later that deepened their friendship and made a profound impact on the history of our time. Set in the perspective of monumental reconciliation between Christianity and Judaism, this is a portrait of John Paul II that describes him as only his closest friends know him and as no pope has ever been portrayed before. Readers will come to know the Holy Father as a man and to understand his most controversial ideas as expressions of his dramatic experience of life."
This award-winning book by a former reporter for The Wall Street Journal traces John Paul II's life from days in pre-war Poland when Karol Wojtyla, as he was known then, had to choose between the theater and priesthood, his support of the Polish Solidarity movement, his election to the church's highest office and his work afterwards.
"With the same meticulous reporting skills and narrative excitement that went into All the President's Men and The Final Days, journalists Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi provide an astonishing look at Pope John Paul II--the foremost political figure of our time. In their research, Bernstein and Politi have had unprecedented access to rare sources of information in Rome, Washington, and Moscow, including formerly top-secret Soviet files. Through these fascinating documents, His Holiness allows the reader a previously impossible glimpse inside the inner workings of the Soviet hierarchy, and shows how the Soviets recognized the serious threat John Paul II posed to their survival--even a the start of his papacy. Startling Politburo minutes show Brezhnev, Andropov, and other key figures heatedly discussing at length how to handle the pope--even within days of the nearly successful assassination attempt."
Contents: On prayer -- On forgiveness and reconciliation -- On Jesus -- On faith and belief -- On living in the world -- On morality and the Christian conscience -- On the Church -- On Eucharist and the Mass -- On the family -- On suffering -- On Christian vocation and working in the world -- On God the Father.
