The papacy is the oldest continuously functioning institution in the world. To put that fact into perspective, consider that when George Washington was elected our nation's first president, the 250th pope was already reigning. More than one billion Roman Catholics throughout the world look to the pope each day for guidance and leadership. And at the death of John Paul II last year, more than four million people streamed into Rome to pay their respects...

More than a billion Roman Catholics throughout the world today look to the pope for guidance and leadership. Despite the papacy's enormous influence, how much do you really know about this ancient and powerful institution? Catholics and non-Catholics alike will enjoy these 24 illuminating lectures about this remarkable institution. Professor Noble gives you priceless insights into the dramatic history of the papal office and the lives of the men

...

A new Pope will be chosen in Rome . . . and she just might be a woman. But she's made some powerful enemies who will stop at nothing-not even murder.
The world is watching as massive crowds gather in Rome, waiting for news of a new pope, one who promises to be unlike any other in history. It's a turning point that may change the Church forever. Some followers are ecstatic that the movement reinvigorating the Church is about to reach the...

"A deadly race for the Vatican's oldest secret fuels New York Times bestseller Steve Berry's latest international Cotton Malone thriller. The pope is dead. A conclave to select his replacement is about to begin. Cardinals are beginning to arrive at the Vatican, but one has fled Rome for Malta in search of a document that dates back to the 4th century and Constantine the Great. Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is at Lake Como, Italy,...

Pope Francis travels the world speaking to those in need and delivering a message of hope. "The interview sections are fascinating, and scenes of the pope's travels, during which he frequently washes the feet of those who come to him, are moving."--New York Times. "A Man of His Word' honors and celebrates the shock of a man of God who would rather make this life better than hand out empty promises about the next."--Boston Globe. "It is a pleasure...

"Jorge Mario Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis, from Argentina, is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. Since being elected pope he has shown a humbler, less formal approach to his office than his predecessors: a warm style that has been referred to as "no frills." His common touch and accessibility, as well as his insistence that the church be more open and welcoming, has quickly endeared him not...

The unconventional follow-up to 2017's The Young Pope begins with Lenny Belardo, aka Pope Pius XIII, in a coma after a heart attack as the Holy See searches for his replacement. British intellectual Sir John Brannox is elected to the papal throne, assuming the name John Paul III. He soon finds that his predecessor2s shadow looms large: The fiercely devoted cult of Pius XIII believes their pope will return, and their conviction proves hard to shake....

Chronicles the events behind the unexpected resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the election of Pope Francis, tracing the lives of both men and discussing the consequences of having two living popes in residence at the Vatican. "The fascinating and revealing tale of an unprecedented transfer of power and of two very different men--who both happen to live in the Vatican. In February 2013, the archconservative Pope Benedict XVI made a startling announcement:...

En febrero de 2013, se rompió con una tradición de más de seiscientos años: el papa Benedicto XVI, antiguo protector de la doctrina y leal heredero de Juan Pablo II, hizo un anuncio sin precedentes al comunicar su renuncia debido a su avanzada edad y la decision de adoptar el título de papa emérito. A las pocas semanas, las majestuosas puertas de la Capilla Sixtina del Vaticano se cerraron, y los cardenales comenzaron un nuevo cónclave, el...

"A major reinterpretation of the religious superstate that came to define both Europe and Christianity itself, by one of our foremost medieval historians. In the 4th century AD, a new faith grew out of Palestine, overwhelming the paganism of Rome, and resoundingly defeating a host of other rival belief systems. Almost a thousand years later, all of Europe was controlled by Christian rulers, and the religion, ingrained within culture and society, exercised...