St. Pope John Paul II

This exposition of Pope John Paul II's teachings on sexuality provides commentary on, and interpretation of, the Holy Father's addresses and writings.

Poet, philosopher, playwright, peacemaker, political activist, pope: this is a brief look at the rich life of Karol Wotyla, whom we know today as Pope John Paul II. He was the most widely traveled of all popes, and made pastoral visits to 129 countries in all. He was instrumental in bringing about the fall of communism in Poland; it is said that the attempt on his life in 1981 was in direct response to his efforts to bring down communism.

John Paul II was a man of deep Christian love and commitment. He balanced the traditions of the Church with a need to re-establish it as a viable and modern presence in the world. Though many felt that he was too much a conservative, he was guided by his belief in the Church as a redemptive organization, and worked to make it relevant to the lives of Catholics throughout the world.

John Paul II: A Short Biography highlights his early years, his lifelong devotion to Mary, his outreach to young people, and his role as intercessor in seeking reconciliation with institutions and peoples alienated from the Church by past actions. This is a book to be enjoyed and treasured as we witness the recognition given John Paul II as a saint for our times.

Named a World magazine "Book of the Year"!

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:

The inside story on the 1982 meeting where the president and the pope confided their conviction that God had spared their lives for the purpose of defeating communism

Captivating new information on the attempt on John Paul II's life, including a -previously unreported secret CIA investigation--was Moscow behind the plot?

The many similarities and the spiritual bond between the pope and the president--and how Reagan privately spoke of the "DP" the Divine Plan to take down communism

New details about how the Protestant Reagan became intensely interested in the "secrets of Fátima," which date to the reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary at Fátima, Portugal, starting on May 13, 1917---sixty-four years to the day before John Paul II was shot

A startling insider account of how the USSR may have been set to invade the pope's native Poland in March 1981--only to pull back when news broke that Reagan had been shot

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.

"I still remember the moment I first saw his open, jovial face, that one-of-a-kind smile, the lively and luminous eyes that seemed that they might be laughing even more.

I should have understood already from that smile who he would truly become, what he would represent for me, for us, for everyone, for history."

Blessed Pope John Paul II was an avid sportsman, a skilled skier, and a lover of the outdoors. That much is known.

But the story of his secret trips to the mountains with a handful of his closest friends remains hidden. No longer.

For the first time in English, join Lino Zani, John Paul's ski guide and friend, for a behind-the-scenes look at the Pope away from the Vatican.

The Secret Life of Pope John Paul II is the story of the Pope as you've never seen him before, at play and prayer in his beloved mountains.