St. Pope John Paul II

"Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II, was a man whose life was the expression of a richly textured and multidimensional soul. The many layers of that soul took on their first, mature form in Kraków." - George Weigel

In this beautifully illustrated spiritual travelogue, New York Times bestselling author George Weigel leads readers through the historic streets of Kraków, Poland, introducing one of the world's great cities through the life of one of the most influential Catholic leaders of all time.

"To follow Karol Wojtyla through Kraków is to follow an itinerary of sanctity while learning the story of a city." Weigel writes. "Thus, in what follows, the story of Karol Wojtyla, St. John Paul II, and the story of Kraków are interwoven in a chronological pilgrimage through the life of a saint that reveals, at the same time, the dramatic history and majestic culture of a city where a boy grew into a man, priest, a bishop--and an apostle to the world."

With stunning photographs by Stephen Weigel and notes on the city's remarkable fabric by Carrie Gress, City of Saints offers an in-depth look at a man and a city that made an indelible impression on the life and thought of the Catholic Church and the 21st century world.

This Image Books edition features a biographical portrait of Pope John by his personal secretary, Monsignor Loris Capovilla. It also includes several of his most moving prayers, sixty brief thoughts and aphorisms, his "Rules for the Ascetic Life," many of his letters, even his last will and testament. Christians everywhere will welcome the reissue of "one of the most original, interesting, and inspiring revelations of intimate personal experiences ever written," which "ranks well with the classic spiritual autobiographies" (Critic).

Journal of a Soul, the first ever such work from a Roman pontiff, opens new windows onto the soul of the man himself.

A Singular Bond That Changed History

Even as historians credit -Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II with hastening the end of the Cold War, they have failed to recognize the depth or significance of the bond that developed between the two leaders.

Acclaimed scholar and bestselling author Paul Kengor changes that. In this fascinating book, he reveals a singular bond--which included a spiritual connection between the Catholic pope and the Protestant president--that drove the two men to confront what they knew to be the great evil of the twentieth century: Soviet communism.

Reagan and John Paul II almost didn't have the opportunity to forge this relationship: just six weeks apart in the spring of 1981, they took bullets from would-be assassins. But their strikingly similar near-death experiences brought them close together--to Moscow's dismay.

A Pope and a President is the product of years of research. Based on Kengor's tireless archival digging and his unique access to Reagan insiders, the book reveals:

Nancy Reagan called John Paul II her husband's "closest friend"; Reagan himself told Polish visitors that the pope was his "best friend." When you read this book, you will understand why. As kindred spirits, Ronald Reagan and John Paul II united in pursuit of a supreme objective--and in doing so they changed history.

Teachings for an Unbelieving World is a newly discovered work written by St. John Paul II--then Archbishop Karol Wojtyla of Kraków--in the years just after Vatican II. He uses St. Paul's sermon to the people of Athens in Acts 17 as a framework for articulating the faith in a culture of skepticism and unbelief. These thirteen brief reflections provide compelling teaching for Catholics in today's post-Christian world and give fresh insight into JPII's pontificate. This is the first English-language publication of this important work.

St. John Paul II composed these thirteen reflections at a unique point of convergence in history--the closing of Vatican II in 1965 and the 1966 observance of one thousand years of Christianity in Poland.

Teachings for an Unbelieving World is an extended meditation on Acts 17 where Paul speaks to the cultural elite of Athens after he observed an altar of an unknown god in the city. Quoting from both the Bible and the documents of Vatican II, John Paul II draws timely wisdom from the apostle's mission to bring the truth of the Gospel to a worldly culture of sophistication and disbelief, one not unlike our own.

The future pope reveals Paul's memorable encounter as an enduring framework to boldly present the core truths of Catholic faith to those living under Poland's communist regime. In so doing, JPII demonstrates how relevant Paul's words are today and equips us to meet the challenges of proclaiming the faith in our times.

Teachings for an Unbelieving World affirms the continuity of Catholic faith about: