The Pocket Guide to the Popes

This captivating history, updated to include the passing of John Paul II and the election of Benedict XVI, provides a complete portrait of the papacy. Written by one of the leading scholars in the field, Lives of the Popes tells the stories of the great variety of men who have occupied the throne of St. Peter over the course of nearly two thousand years: warriors and peacemakers, saints and scoundrels, politicians and pastors, and reformers and nepotists alike. Lives of the Popes features fascinating profiles of all 263 Popes; essays on the papal election process and its future; timelines of papal, ecclesiastical, and secular persons and events; and ratings of all the Popes, from best to worst. Detailed, comprehensive, and highly accessible, Lives of the Popes captures the remarkable story of the papacy and how it transformed Christianity and the world. Richard P. McBrien, bestselling author of Catholicism and general editor of the HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism, is a leading TV, radio, and newspaper commentator on the Catholic Church. He is the Crowley-O’Brien-Walter Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. “An invaluable reference guide brimming with solid historical data as well as pontifical fun facts.”–Booklist