John XXIII: Pope of the Century

by Peter Hebblethwaite

Angelo Roncalli was elected Pope in 1958 and in four and a half years, through summoning the Second Vatican Council and putting in hand a major revision of the code of Canon Law, had transformed the Roman Catholic Church. Through his personality and teaching, and his initiatives with world leaders, he gave the papacy a new vision and set before the Catholic Church a new version of its mission to the world. Today many people throughout the world see Pope John XXIII as one of the twentieth-century's most loved and influential figures.

Genres: Biography

298 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Deborah Steenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched. I appreciate how Hepplethwaite could observe details that would be easy to overlook and tease out of them golden nuggets that provide deeper insights into Pope John's character.