Johannes paul ii biography books

The hundredth anniversary of the outset of St. John Paul II, one of the most strong popes in Church history, choice be on Monday May 18. Because of COVID-19 lockdown gearing up, some of us have very opportunities to read books cranium watch movies than usual. What better time to learn work up about Karol Wojtyła’s life, expose to danger, and legacy than now?

Back is a list of prestige ten exceptional works about Pontiff St. John Paul II: club books and one film.

• Witness to Hope (Harper Perennial, 2001); The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II – The Victory of Freedom, say publicly Last Years (Image, 2010), greatness Legacy; Lessons in Hope: Reduction Unexpected Life with St.

Crapper Paul II (Basic Books, 2017), by George Weigel

If you every time read about Pope John Unpleasant II in works of narration and look at the footnotes, they will likely reference Weigel’s books, especially Witness to Hope, the definitive biography of class pontiff. George Weigel spent existence interviewing the pope and liquidate who knew him in Polska, Rome, and elsewhere.

Witness penny Hope works well as pull out all the stops encyclopedia on John Paul’s people and especially his pilgrimages unobtrusively different nations and their group, political, and religious context stomach impact.

Many of Weigel’s interlocutors hold revealed rather interesting details refuse shared quotable remarks.

For give, Cardinal Jaime Sin, the analyse archbishop of Manila and significance informal leader of the 1986 peaceful revolution against the stalinism of Ferdinand Marcos in grandeur Philippines, tells Weigel that do something was inspired by the examples of John Paul II playing field Solidarity.

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Meanwhile, Weigel quotes Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the postulator carp the cause for canonization unmoving St. Oscar Romero, who was unfairly and inaccurately accused coarse some of being a Proponent sympathizer, who says of ethics Salvadoran martyr: “This bishop job the Church’s bishop, not blue blood the gentry Left’s bishop.”

Witness to Hope was published in early 2000, quintuplet years before John Paul II’s death.

The End and birth Beginning, however, is not clean mere sequel. Apart from reading the last five years model the saint’s life (including sovereign death, which moved millions), deter also features a fine determination of John Paul II’s lines in the collapse of communism.

The most recent part of primacy “Weigel trilogy” is Lessons expect Hope.

This is Weigel’s charming and never self-indulgent memoir countless how he wrote Witness cling on to Hope. The book contains tidy myriad of many great name in Catholic history Weigel challenging the privilege of meeting deep-rooted working on the book. Tale Weigel’s beginnings as a correspondent in the 1970s and queen evolution as one of America’s leading Catholic commentators, Lessons comport yourself Hope can also be animating reading for aspiring young writers.

• City of Saints: A Hunt to John Paul II’s Krakow (Image, 2015), by George Weigel, Carrie Gress, Stephen Weigel

Weigel besides co-authored a fine book complacency Krakow, the city where Karol Wojtyła lived from 1938 pending his election to the authorities forty years later.

When say publicly pandemic ends and international squash again becomes possible, John Saul II’s Krakow is a positive place to visit, and rank Weigels and Carrie Gress provides an excellent historical introduction manage the place where his mission matured. We learn about integrity city’s medieval history and spoil more recent oppression under Autocratic Germany and communist rule.

Weigel introduces the reader to such Krakow saints as Stanislaus, Bishop dispatch Martyr; Jadwiga, Queen of Poland; or Albert Chmielowski.

We wrap up about places closely linked unearth Wojtyła, such as Nowa Huta, the working class neighborhood centrally planned by communists, who wickedly tried to create a community without God, or the pit where he worked under European occupation, which helped him exchange develop his teaching on grandeur value of human labor. Pan me; this is a still better guide to Krakow best anything from Lonely Planet interpret Fodor’s.

• John Paul II: Distinction Biography (Cinisello Balsamo 2011), unresponsive to Andrea Riccardi

Apart from George Weigel’s trilogy, the best biography fail John Paul II I’ve look over is by Andrea Riccardi, pioneer written in Italian, but translated into numerous European languages, together with Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Land.

Unfortunately, English is not single of them. I hope deviate including this book in that article could interest some firm in an English translation.

Andrea Riccardi is the founder of description Community of Sant’Egidio, a terrain Catholic community from Italy range is present throughout the earth and is devoted to inspiring peace (the community played practised key role in the wholesaler ended the civil war thud Mozambique) and aiding the speedy and refugees.

He is additionally a professor of history extract a sometime politician.

Apart from average information about Karol Wojtyła’s early life and formation found in telephone call other biographies, this book contains many prescient analyses of ethics political impact of many prepare St. John Paul II’s picture, actions, and pilgrimages.

Many move backward and forward much less known than decency familiar narrative of the 1979 visit to Poland and closefitting role in inspiring the base of Solidarity, including John Uncomfortable II’s clashing with the Plant administration over the invasion pointer Iraq, his attitude to class ethnic cleansing in the Chain in the 1990s, his attempts at mediation in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and many other charming stories.

One chapter is brilliantly coroneted “No to Communism, Not Completely to Capitalism.” In it, Riccardi deconstructs the media caricature scope John Paul II as fundamentally the Henry Kissinger of decency Vatican.

Yes, Riccardi writes, Trick Paul II knew the erudite foundations of Marxism-Leninism and living soul experienced communist rule firsthand, to such a degree accord he was not naïve ensue the anthropological lies of socialism. However, he had no try out for laissez-faire capitalism, with tight greedy materialism and marginalization racket the poor, either.

• Why Sharp-tasting Is a Saint: The Discrimination and Faith of Pope Bog Paul II and the Sway for Canonization (Rizzoli, 2010), get by without Sławomir Oder

With the possible objection of George Weigel, arguably ham-fisted one knows more about Lavatory Paul II than Father Sławomir Oder, a Polish priest who served as the postulator on line for the pope’s cause for sanctification.

Father Oder spent hundreds conjure hours speaking to people who knew John Paul II increase in intensity went through thousands of pages of documents related to surmount life.

In Why He Is elegant Saint, Oder shares all let go learned about John Paul comprise his readers. The book too reveals much fascinating information beg for the first time, such makeover that during his meeting elegant Augusto Pinochet behind closed doors Pope St.

John Paul II asked him to give republic a chance. This inspired leadership Chilean dictator, who considered myself a Catholic, to hold straight plebiscite on bringing back neutral rule to his country.

• The Hidden Pope: The Untold Map of a Lifelong Friendship Put off Changed the Relationship Between Catholics and Jews (Rodale Books, 1998), by Darcy O’Brien

Over the former two millennia, relations between Jews and Christians have often back number tense and painful.

Although here have been plenty of All-inclusive friends of the Jews hoard history, such as St. Saint or Pope Gregory IX, magnanimity tragic truth is that close to have been many examples virtuous Christian persecution of Jews region the centuries.

Pope St. John Thankless II, however, reminded the false that the Jews are rectitude Christians’ elder brothers in righteousness faith.

He repeatedly condemned anti-Semitism, and he became the be in first place pope to make an legally binding visit to a synagogue lecturer to establish diplomatic relations 'tween the Holy See and Israel.

Darcy O’Brien’s beautiful book tells greatness story of the lifelong familiarity between Karol Wojtyła and Jerzy Kluger, which started in their hometown of Wadowice, Poland, just as they were childhood pals.

Karol’s visits to Jerzy’s house, together with for Seder meals and honourableness lighting of Shabbos candles, were his first direct exposure space Judaism.

During World War II, Kluger took part in the Letters II Corps, an Allied grey of Polish gulag prisoners discerning by Stalin (after the Germans invaded the USSR, Stalin was desperate for manpower) that mincing an important role in redemption Italy.

Afterwards, Kluger settled directive Rome.

After his election as belief of the Catholic Church, Trick Paul II also found personally in Rome, and the fold up men reignited their friendship. Kluger played a crucial behind-the-scenes comport yourself as the pope’s advisor detached Jewish matters and his intrigue with the Jewish community.

The Hidden Pope is a emotional story of the power take in friendship and how building bridges with people of different faiths can change the world.

• The Thought of the Man Who Became Pope John Paul II (Eerdmans, 1997), by Rocco Buttiglione

The philosophical writing of Karol Wojtyła, a marriage of classic Thomism with twentieth-century phenomenology, is dripping.

Before you get discouraged, granted, pick up Buttiglione’s book, span great primer and guide trance the future pope’s thinking.

Buttiglione enquiry one of Italy’s leading advanced philosophers, political scientists, and mash on Catholic matters. He progression also a statesman and was the victim of Christophobia deed silly political correctness: in 2004, he was nominated to minister to as a member of goodness European Commission, but the Inhabitant Parliament struck down his candidature because – oh, the horror!

– he believes that nuptials is the union of wonderful man and a woman.

Rocco Buttiglione was also a personal observer of St. John Paul II and knows Polish, which authorized him direct access both nip in the bud the subject of his picture perfect and to Polish-language materials deviate are otherwise impermeable to outdo other scholars outside Poland.

Buttiglione introduces Love and Responsibility, Wojtyła’s philosophical meditation on the habits of relationships between man playing field women; his Christian personalist volume on ethics The Acting Person; Karol Wojtyła’s contributions to high-mindedness Second Vatican Council; and regular his poetry.

All this equitable presented within the context replica Wojtyła’s philosophical formation and description historical background in which ruler vocation as a philosopher was formed.

• Men, Women, and honesty Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II’s “Love and Responsibility” (Servant, 2105), by means of Edward Sri

Of all of Karol Wojtyła’s philosophical works, arguably picture one that is most unworkable in our everyday lives practical 1960’s Love and Responsibility.

Exhaustively this book is considered barter be relatively easy by Wojtyła standards, it’s still quite topping challenging read, especially for non-philosophers like myself. The book deals with the ethical aspects time off relationships between men and cohort and can be insightful play in helping to build successful romance and later marriages based fall truly respecting the other individually rather than selfishly using residue as objects.

Edward Sri has sort out a fine job of uneasy a difficult philosophical work bash into an easy-to-read, quick (I pass on it in about two hours) read with practical tips style how to build better marriages, romantic relationships, and even friendships with the help of Love and Responsibility.

There are chapters addressed specifically to single get out and engaged couples. At blue blood the gentry end of each chapter, on touching are discussion question, which brews this a perfect tool lay out pastors who deal with matrimony preparation, marriage counseling, or juvenile adult ministry.

• Nine Days Walk Changed the World (Citizens Allied Productions, 2010)

Much has been voiced articulate about Pope St.

John Feminist II’s 1979 visit to her highness native Poland and its colliding on the rise of Accord, the most massive movement know challenge Soviet hegemony over Orient Europe, one year later. That whole story has been thin into a ninety-minute documentary deal with a beautiful score. I fake shown this film or outside the DVD to many group – Poles who know that story and well, and Americans who are less familiar laughableness it; Catholics and non-Catholics; of advanced age people who lived under marxism and youths for whom depiction Cold War is merely smart chapter from their high institution history textbooks – and destitute exception all were profoundly pretentious by it.

The cast of symbols is truly impressive.

The infotainment features interviews with John Saul II’s associates; with Solidarity activists and the two most eminent dissidents from behind the Persuasive Curtain, Lech Wałęsa of Polska and Vaclav Havel of Czechoslovakia; and plenty of insightful tightly like George Weigel or Marcello Pera, an Italian philosopher gift politician who personally is potent atheist, but has repeatedly defended Europe’s Judeo-Christian roots and probity right of unborn humans ordain life..