The Pontiff in Winter, John Cornwell
The Pontiff in Winter, John Cornwell
1 Rating(s)
List: $12.50 | Sale: $8.75
Club: $6.25

The Pontiff in Winter
Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II

Author: John Cornwell

Narrator: Graeme Malcolm

Abridged: 5 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/05/2004


Synopsis

Over more than a quarter of a century, John Paul II has firmly set his stamp on the billion-member strong Catholic Church for future generations and he has become one of the most influential political figures in the world. His key role in the downfall of communism in Europe, as well as his apologies for the Catholic Church’s treatment of Jews and to victims of the Inquisition, racism, and religious wars, won him worldwide admiration. Yet his papacy has also been marked by what many perceive as misogyny, homophobia, and ecclesiastical tyranny. Some critics suggest that his perpetuation of the Church’s traditional hierarchical paternalism contributed to pedophiliac behavior in the priesthood and encouraged superiors to sweep the crimes under the carpet. The Pontiff in Winter brings John Paul’s complex, contradictory character into sharp focus. In a bold, highly original work, 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, including the 9/11 attacks, the pedophilia scandals in the United States, the clash between Islam and Christianity, the ongoing debates over the Church’s policies regarding women, homosexuals, abortion, AIDS, and other social issues, and much more. A close, trusted observer of the Vatican, Cornwell combines eyewitness reporting with information from the best sources in and outside the pope’s inner circle. Always respectful of John Paul’s prodigious spirit and unrelenting battles for human rights and religious freedom, Cornwell raises serious questions about a system that grants lifetime power to an individual vulnerable to the vicissitudes of aging and illness. The result is a moving, elegiac portrait of John Paul in the winter of his life and a thoughtful, incisive assessment of his legacy to the Church.

About The Author

John Cornwell is the author of the international bestseller Hitler’s Pope, as well as an award-winning journalist with a lifelong interest in Vatican affairs. He has reported on the pope for Vanity Fair and The Sunday Times (London), and has written on the Catholic Church for Commonweal and the international Catholic weekly The Tablet. He attended Roman Catholic seminaries in England for seven years, followed by studies in literature and philosophy at Oxford and Cambridge universities. In 1990 he was elected a Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, where he now directs the Science and Human Dimension Project.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Justin on November 05, 2015

I'm generally sceptical of anyone who is universally adored, and all the more so of anyone who seems to be adored for no particularly good reason other than marketing. And so I am sceptical about JPII, and Cornwell's biography is the right one for me. It's cleanly written, willing to contest the rec......more

Goodreads review by Todd on September 26, 2015

Pontiff in Winter is a biography of Pope John Paul II written in 2004 near the end of the pope’s life. The book provides a balanced view of his papacy, which is why it has been fiercely criticized by Catholics who resent the fact that John Paul II could be characterized as anything other than in a p......more

Goodreads review by David Bisset on February 02, 2016

I have read most of John Cornwell's books about the Catholic Church and found all of them fascinating: this book is no exception. The Pope was paradoxical. He had heroic qualities, but he was also profoundly conservative. Moreover, he rejected collegiality and undermined the Church at a national and......more

Goodreads review by Kathleen on December 17, 2011

Terrific book. I especially learned alot about what the pope thought about women.......more

Goodreads review by Kenneth on September 07, 2018

This book details the papacy of John Paul II. He was elected in 1978,the first non Italian pope in almost 500 years. His early years in Poland were shaped first by the occupation of the Nazis and then the Soviet Union. Thus, he developed a strong dislike for communism and when he became pope felt hi......more


Quotes

Praise for John Cornwell’s Hitler’s Pope:

“[Hitler’s Pope] redefines the entire history of the 20th century.”
—Tad Szluc, Washington Post

“As Cornwell brilliantly demonstrates, Pius XII brought the authoritarianism and the centralization of his predecessors to their most extreme stage.”
—Saul Friedlander, Los Angeles Times

“Explosive… [Cornwell] makes a case in Hitler’s Pope that is very difficult to refute.”
New York Times Book Review

“Devastating…instead of a portrait of a man worthy of sainthood, Cornwell lays out the story of a narcissistic, power-hungry manipulator.” —James Carroll, Atlantic Monthly

“A book that cannot, and should not, be ignored.”
—The Reverend John F. Morley, Commonweal

“Scathing.”
Time

“If anything, given the hideous consequences of the Holocaust and the culpability of millions of people who did not fight against it, Cornwell is circumscribed and methodical…. Read this book.”
—Michael Pakenham, Baltimore Sun



Praise for John Cornwell’s Breaking Faith:

“A provocative, deeply personal, and intelligent book.”
Library Journal

“[Cornwell] knows the inner workings of the Vatican and the tensions dividing conservatives and liberals.”
New York Times Book Review

“Vigorous … honest … compelling.”
—Rupert Shortt, Times Literary Supplement