Pope John XXIII: A Life

Thomas Cahill

Jan 2008 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

From the bestselling author of How the Irish Saved Civilization.
 
Elected to the papacy at the age of 76, Pope John XXIII was to have a brief but important reign. Although he had a doctorate in theology, his gifts were pastoral—reaching out to the people of the Church. After his doctorate, he spent nine years working for the socially-minded bishop of Bergamo, acquiring a broad understanding of the problems of the working class. This sympathy for ordinary people was brought out in his papacy. Vatican II, which he convened, brought forth the idea of a church as a community, in which all God's people are a sign of redemption for the human race. Thomas Cahill, in his short biography, gives us the sense of enduring importance of John XXIII's idea.

Ratings and reviews

Disappointed on why there wasn't a straight-forward biography about Pope John XXIII. When you think this book is all about Pope John XXIII, it's mainly about the history of the Papacy. I was expecting more from Thomas Cahill, since I have read one of his other books; which were mainly about the person that it was about. If this book were about the history of the Papacy, I would definitely have given a 5-star rating. Probably around the 100th page, that's where everything is piled up about Pope John XXIII. I was hoping to see it start from the beginning, like when, where, and whom he was born from.

About the author

Thomas Cahill’s appealing approach to distant history has won the attention of millions of readers in North America and beyond. Cahill is the author of five previous volumes in the Hinges of History series: How the Irish Saved Civilization, The Gifts of the Jews, Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea, and Mysteries of the Middle Ages. They have been bestsellers not only in the United States but also in countries ranging from Italy to Brazil. He is also the author of A Saint on Death Row.