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Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II
“Fascinating...sheds light on the history of the twentieth century for everyone.”—New York Times Book Review
Now, with an updated preface, the latest edition of the definitive biography of Pope John Paul II that explores how influential he was on the world stage and in some of the most historic events of the twentieth century that can still be felt today.
Witness to Hope is the authoritative biography of one of the singular figures—some might argue the singular figure—of our time. With unprecedented cooperation from John Paul II and the people who knew and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel offers a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions defined a new approach to world politics—and changed the course of history. As even his critics concede, John Paul II occupied a unique place on the world stage and put down intellectual markers that no one could ignore or avoid as humanity entered a new millennium fraught with possibility and danger.
The Pope was a man of prodigious energy who played a crucial, yet insufficiently explored, role in some of the most momentous events of our time, including the collapse of European communism, the quest for peace in the Middle East, and the democratic transformation of Latin America. With an updated preface, this edition of Witness to Hope explains how this “man from a far country” did all of that, and much more—and what both his accomplishments and the unfinished business of his pontificate mean for the future of the Church and the world.
Now, with an updated preface, the latest edition of the definitive biography of Pope John Paul II that explores how influential he was on the world stage and in some of the most historic events of the twentieth century that can still be felt today.
Witness to Hope is the authoritative biography of one of the singular figures—some might argue the singular figure—of our time. With unprecedented cooperation from John Paul II and the people who knew and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel offers a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions defined a new approach to world politics—and changed the course of history. As even his critics concede, John Paul II occupied a unique place on the world stage and put down intellectual markers that no one could ignore or avoid as humanity entered a new millennium fraught with possibility and danger.
The Pope was a man of prodigious energy who played a crucial, yet insufficiently explored, role in some of the most momentous events of our time, including the collapse of European communism, the quest for peace in the Middle East, and the democratic transformation of Latin America. With an updated preface, this edition of Witness to Hope explains how this “man from a far country” did all of that, and much more—and what both his accomplishments and the unfinished business of his pontificate mean for the future of the Church and the world.
992 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 1999
532 people are currently reading
3708 people want to read
About the author
George Weigel
123 books152 followersAmerican author and political and social activist. Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Weigel was the Founding President of the James Madison Foundation.
Each summer, Weigel and several other Catholic intellectuals from the United States, Poland, and across Europe conduct the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in Krakow, in which they and an assortment of students from the United States, Poland, and several other emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe discuss Christianity within the context of liberal democracy and capitalism, with the papal encyclical Centesimus Annus being the focal point.
He is a member of the advisory council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
Each summer, Weigel and several other Catholic intellectuals from the United States, Poland, and across Europe conduct the Tertio Millennio Seminar on the Free Society in Krakow, in which they and an assortment of students from the United States, Poland, and several other emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe discuss Christianity within the context of liberal democracy and capitalism, with the papal encyclical Centesimus Annus being the focal point.
He is a member of the advisory council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
March 24, 2021
Pope John Paul II's greatest legacy may be his reminding the world of what true humanism means. The world knows what false humanism can do, when the unbridled desire for what one wants is let loose. It did not lead to a utopia; it resulted in Auschwitz and the gulags. And he also taught that false humanism can also exist in democracies, when the presence of freedom can be misconstrued as just doing what one pleases and subjecting everything to the trap and hollowness of atheism and moral relativism.
Pope John Paul II taught the world not to be afraid of Christ-centered humanism; to respect each other as a creature of God with a soul, with rights, and with dignity. A human person is not an object of utility, to be judged as being useful or not; a person is an individual subject with freedom. And Pope John Paul II reminds us that we are here on Earth to live for the truth and we should use our freedom for good.
"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought" - Pope John Paul II, in his homily in Baltimore, Maryland, 1995
Pope John Paul II taught the world not to be afraid of Christ-centered humanism; to respect each other as a creature of God with a soul, with rights, and with dignity. A human person is not an object of utility, to be judged as being useful or not; a person is an individual subject with freedom. And Pope John Paul II reminds us that we are here on Earth to live for the truth and we should use our freedom for good.
"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought" - Pope John Paul II, in his homily in Baltimore, Maryland, 1995
January 18, 2013
This 900 page book is quite a read! I spent 6 months reading it a couple of years ago, and it was worth every minute I put into it! It combines European history since the end of WWI, church history, and the life of JPII. There are brief reviews of his many encyclicals, his writings from Vatican II, and many of his other written words.
George Weigel is a phenomenal writer. If I hadn't known the story I would have thought it was a piece of fiction.
If you have not read this book do yourself a favor and get started. It is not a "Catholic" book except in the way that catholic means universal. It will appeal to anyone interested in History and a good story!
I guarantee you'll love it!
George Weigel is a phenomenal writer. If I hadn't known the story I would have thought it was a piece of fiction.
If you have not read this book do yourself a favor and get started. It is not a "Catholic" book except in the way that catholic means universal. It will appeal to anyone interested in History and a good story!
I guarantee you'll love it!
May 10, 2023
I LOVED reading this book. It was definitely a long one and read kind of like a text book at times, but it paints such a beautiful picture of JP2 that truly made me feel as if he were a good friend. Learning about the history and culture that shaped him helped me understand the way he thought and how his experiences drove what he believed and wrote. Definitely recommend if you want to learn more about JP2 and aren’t daunted by a long, often historical read.
January 2, 2023
(I listened to the 10 hour abridged audiobook but I expect the full version is similarly good)
January 29, 2015
What can I possibly say about the subject matter of this book that hasn't been said many, many times over. Saint John Paul II is truly one of God's Blessed People. May sound strange but when he was elected Pope you just knew he was destined for greatness far beyond what any of us could hope for. I pray every day to him and my prayers never go unanswered. For anyone interested in the Catholic religion of John Paul II this is a must read.
April 29, 2019
This was fascinating both for the historical context (a lot of which I never knew or had forgotten) and for the inspirational content woven throughout. It was uplifting in a way I didn't expect.
I was interested to see how many of John Paul II's controversial writing or actions are actually mirrored in some ways by Pope Francis ... resulting in many of the same sorts of critiques, from different sides of conservative/liberal thinking.
The audio is only available in abridged version but that didn't hurt my experience as far as I can tell. I may reread it sometime in print to get the full version.
Definitely recommended.
I was interested to see how many of John Paul II's controversial writing or actions are actually mirrored in some ways by Pope Francis ... resulting in many of the same sorts of critiques, from different sides of conservative/liberal thinking.
The audio is only available in abridged version but that didn't hurt my experience as far as I can tell. I may reread it sometime in print to get the full version.
Definitely recommended.
November 7, 2012
Witness to Hope is a monumental work by George Weigel, and is put - along with The Civil War: A Narrative - into a special category of books that I have read. They are books of serious matters and are books of serious weight as well. I dropped this book from 5 to 4 stars only because its length and subject matter required two reading efforts - separated by a few months - to complete.
The narrative of Poland under the Nazis, of the suffering of many groups (Jews, Christians, priests, professionals, etc.), and of John Paul's life during the war almost alone make this book worth reading. The descriptions of life in Cold War Poland, as well as the events leading up to and immediately following his election to the papacy are also excellent.
The narrative of Poland under the Nazis, of the suffering of many groups (Jews, Christians, priests, professionals, etc.), and of John Paul's life during the war almost alone make this book worth reading. The descriptions of life in Cold War Poland, as well as the events leading up to and immediately following his election to the papacy are also excellent.
June 2, 2012
Witness to Hope is a wonderful, detailed biography of Blessed John Paul II. Not only does it describe all of the work that he accomplished during his pontificate, it also gave an insight into the motivation behind so many of his actions. Some may consider this book overly kind to the Pope, but as someone who grew up during the JPII generation, I gained a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the Holy Father.
August 19, 2025
This is a very long and utterly fascinating book about Pope John Paul II. It is one of the best interpretations of the history of the XX century I have read, as seen through the experiences of the Pope, from a Christ-centered point of view that unifies and gives its true meaning to the history of humanity.
In the first chapters, the XX-century history centers on Poland, as we follow Karol Wojtyla in his childhood, student and seminarian years, as a priest, professor of theology, and bishop. His pastoral style was to know his flock, to be available at all times, and to encourage Christians to transform the medium where they lived and worked by means of cultural groups -of theater authors and actors, of professors, of scientists, of students, rooted in their faith.
The next chapters focus on Council Vatican II and the prominent role that bishop Wojtyla had on discussions, final documents, as well as his work to implement the Council in Krakow. All this made him well known among his fellow bishops and cardinals, while still unknown to most of the world, and contributed to his surprise election. The chapter on his election and the unbounded joyful reaction in Poland is the most moving in the book.
The last set of chapters focus on his groundbreaking work as a Pope, starting with changes to how things were done in the Vatican administration and bureaucracy; his letters and encyclicals, where he continues work on extending to the whole world his vision on the implementation of Vatical II as a new springtime of evangelization for the third millenium. These are the years of successful pastoral visits to all countries who had never had a pope visit them, and of the fall of comunism, with detailed accounts about Poland in particular.
As the author takes pains to explain how John Paul's vision on certain topics was new (or at least, shedding a new light) compared to previous understanding of Council teachings, the role of the priests and laypeople, ecumenical relations or relations with other religions, I realized that on these topics the Church as understood by Pope John Paul is actually the one I was taught and have known all my life.
The book is unfinished since it was published in 1999, before the end of his ponficate. John Paul II understood his mission to be the bringing the Church into the third millenium. How he accomplished it by proclaiming the Divine Mercy message (along with the role of St. Faustina) is not mentioned in this book, but can be read in The Second Greatest Story Ever Told.
Weigel points out several times that some of the encyclicals and teachings were ahead of his time or would need a more detailed study before becoming the norm, and that we would see their fruits during the XXI century. This has certainly been the case with the Theology of the Body, which by now has been carefully distilled and explained in all the theological richness and beauty that the Pope intended, and is already adopted (at least in the US) in youth catechesis and marriage preparation as the current standard for the Church teaching on married life.
In the first chapters, the XX-century history centers on Poland, as we follow Karol Wojtyla in his childhood, student and seminarian years, as a priest, professor of theology, and bishop. His pastoral style was to know his flock, to be available at all times, and to encourage Christians to transform the medium where they lived and worked by means of cultural groups -of theater authors and actors, of professors, of scientists, of students, rooted in their faith.
The next chapters focus on Council Vatican II and the prominent role that bishop Wojtyla had on discussions, final documents, as well as his work to implement the Council in Krakow. All this made him well known among his fellow bishops and cardinals, while still unknown to most of the world, and contributed to his surprise election. The chapter on his election and the unbounded joyful reaction in Poland is the most moving in the book.
The last set of chapters focus on his groundbreaking work as a Pope, starting with changes to how things were done in the Vatican administration and bureaucracy; his letters and encyclicals, where he continues work on extending to the whole world his vision on the implementation of Vatical II as a new springtime of evangelization for the third millenium. These are the years of successful pastoral visits to all countries who had never had a pope visit them, and of the fall of comunism, with detailed accounts about Poland in particular.
As the author takes pains to explain how John Paul's vision on certain topics was new (or at least, shedding a new light) compared to previous understanding of Council teachings, the role of the priests and laypeople, ecumenical relations or relations with other religions, I realized that on these topics the Church as understood by Pope John Paul is actually the one I was taught and have known all my life.
The book is unfinished since it was published in 1999, before the end of his ponficate. John Paul II understood his mission to be the bringing the Church into the third millenium. How he accomplished it by proclaiming the Divine Mercy message (along with the role of St. Faustina) is not mentioned in this book, but can be read in The Second Greatest Story Ever Told.
Weigel points out several times that some of the encyclicals and teachings were ahead of his time or would need a more detailed study before becoming the norm, and that we would see their fruits during the XXI century. This has certainly been the case with the Theology of the Body, which by now has been carefully distilled and explained in all the theological richness and beauty that the Pope intended, and is already adopted (at least in the US) in youth catechesis and marriage preparation as the current standard for the Church teaching on married life.
March 26, 2016
A no more definitive biographical account could one ask for, "Witness to Hope" (or "Witness to Grope," as my sardonic brother said years ago) goes into extraordinary detail into the John Paul's theological, philosophical, personal, and ecclesiastical agendas, providing an almost completely chronological narrative of his 20 years in the papal office at the time of the writing. What this authoritative biography lacks compared to today's famously successful biographers (McCullough, Goodwin-Kerns, Isaacson, etc), I feel, is objectivity for the subject. This is a biography of reverence. Of course, the individual in question here is the Pope, the head of the Catholic church for a quarter of century and an enormous media figure in his day, but unfortunately, I felt George Weigel, its author, believed John Paul could and did do no wrong. When modern controversies existed at the time, Weigel identifies the controversies as the fault of "journalists" or "corrupt modern political organizations" such as the U.N., for misunderstanding the truths JPII was teaching through his administrative works and encyclicals. This subjective study should be understood as a literary work of a faithful Catholic journalist, but, in my estimate, this is not a particularly objective account of this man's life and pontifical body of work.
I set out reading this book to gain a wider understanding of both Catholicism and 20th century Western history and culture, and for sure, John Paul II was at the center of so much change and upheaval. I will not remember all the historical details within this book of course, but I did appreciate learning about his intellectual and scholarly, and even dramatic background. It gives a deeper understanding of a religious leader when one learns that he considered becoming a playwright and dramatist before deciding to become a priest. He was a champion of the humanities, and celebrations of culture. Culture drives history, one of his main tenets states, and it is the Catholic culture that could flourish to save the world from the cynical advances of modern culture. It is important to realize the backdrop JPII came from: in his early adult years, seeking out Catholic mass and the sacraments through secret channels during World War II in Poland; being at the political and ecumenical forefront of Communism's initial breakdown through Polish Solidarity union workers; and in the thick of women's rights and pro-life debates occurring globally in the 1990s. It is the culture of Catholicism he hoped would grow and evangelize the world so it would advance into the 21h century protecting human rights and freedom of religion.
The writing of this books stops in 2000, and I cannot but think how differently this definitive biography of the Pope would be if it were written after the terrorists attacks of 9/11 and the revelations of rampant sexual abuse by scores of Catholic priests. In this book he is described as the ultimate Pastor, looking over his flock and presiding over numerous pilgrimages to communities throughout the world. Revelations of widespread sexual abuse among priests and parishioners make it seem he perhaps wasn't as in touch with his global community, or the congregation of bishops, as he is described circa the year 2000. Or, perhaps more dishearteningly, he was aware of the abuse and chose not to act to stop it. We are living in the shadow of John Paul II's papacy. He was canonized a saint in 2014 amid protests of victims of sexual abuse. His legacy now is mixed, and complicated. Surely he was a major player on the world stage, and played a large role in expanding the communion of Catholic leaders as well as outreach of the laity, and making consistent efforts to mend broken relationships among other Christian communities to achieve ecclesiastic communion. But the presence of the controversy of sexual abuse looms large, and puts his achievements under a darker cloud than existed at the twilight of his reign.
Reading this book did place me in awe at this man's demonstrated kindness, faith in Christ, and optimism of human nature. I appreciated the commentary of his numerous encyclicals. I will add that this made me reconsider my positions of Catholic teachings that I've grown cynical to over the years, and provided the opportunity to contemplate judgments I had settled on over the years about decisions based on human responsibility, faithfulness, and morality.
Lastly I will add that this review of John Paul II's teachings, encyclicals, and doctrinal positions of his church adds to the ongoing definition of "modernity." Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, progressive and modern advances almost reflexively equate with immorality, and there appears a sense of skepticism and doubt of corruption when considering the advancing global culture of the 21st century. The cure to upcoming immorality and doubt about the future is faith in Jesus Christ (wasn't anyone in the Vatican listening to Radiohead in 1997? Our future with the robots and the computers is going to be OK ;-) ). As a millennial thinker, I have faith there is more optimism to be had with the current times and in modernity. We should embrace our traditions and learn from wisdom of scripture, but we have the opportunity to develop a humanism that embraces the possibilities of technology and science. Not the opportunity to develop the most awesomest iPhone ever, but the possibility to save lives with biomedicine, incorporate pragmatic family planning strategies, develop agriculture systems that not only increase efficiency in production but improve equal distribution to communities in need of nourishment, develop systems that will combat climate change, and create meaningful opportunities to speak with members of different faiths to find solutions to problems rather than reasons to exclude and ostracize. Modernity does not need to maintain that human life will become base an immoral, without regard to human sanctity; a positive embrace of changing modern times should look forward to the possibilities of what future scientists, philosophers, humanitarians, politicians, and preservers of culture could do to advance human morality and the opportunities of human nature. Pope Francis' Church seems like it could be taking this direction (and not just because Francis in on Instagram now). John Paul's thematic concern of preserving human rights and freedom of choice, perhaps, takes on a new definition in the 21st century; progress, one can hope, will involve a positive embrace of changing times, not an embrace of denial and ignorance, and simple retreat to dogma.
I set out reading this book to gain a wider understanding of both Catholicism and 20th century Western history and culture, and for sure, John Paul II was at the center of so much change and upheaval. I will not remember all the historical details within this book of course, but I did appreciate learning about his intellectual and scholarly, and even dramatic background. It gives a deeper understanding of a religious leader when one learns that he considered becoming a playwright and dramatist before deciding to become a priest. He was a champion of the humanities, and celebrations of culture. Culture drives history, one of his main tenets states, and it is the Catholic culture that could flourish to save the world from the cynical advances of modern culture. It is important to realize the backdrop JPII came from: in his early adult years, seeking out Catholic mass and the sacraments through secret channels during World War II in Poland; being at the political and ecumenical forefront of Communism's initial breakdown through Polish Solidarity union workers; and in the thick of women's rights and pro-life debates occurring globally in the 1990s. It is the culture of Catholicism he hoped would grow and evangelize the world so it would advance into the 21h century protecting human rights and freedom of religion.
The writing of this books stops in 2000, and I cannot but think how differently this definitive biography of the Pope would be if it were written after the terrorists attacks of 9/11 and the revelations of rampant sexual abuse by scores of Catholic priests. In this book he is described as the ultimate Pastor, looking over his flock and presiding over numerous pilgrimages to communities throughout the world. Revelations of widespread sexual abuse among priests and parishioners make it seem he perhaps wasn't as in touch with his global community, or the congregation of bishops, as he is described circa the year 2000. Or, perhaps more dishearteningly, he was aware of the abuse and chose not to act to stop it. We are living in the shadow of John Paul II's papacy. He was canonized a saint in 2014 amid protests of victims of sexual abuse. His legacy now is mixed, and complicated. Surely he was a major player on the world stage, and played a large role in expanding the communion of Catholic leaders as well as outreach of the laity, and making consistent efforts to mend broken relationships among other Christian communities to achieve ecclesiastic communion. But the presence of the controversy of sexual abuse looms large, and puts his achievements under a darker cloud than existed at the twilight of his reign.
Reading this book did place me in awe at this man's demonstrated kindness, faith in Christ, and optimism of human nature. I appreciated the commentary of his numerous encyclicals. I will add that this made me reconsider my positions of Catholic teachings that I've grown cynical to over the years, and provided the opportunity to contemplate judgments I had settled on over the years about decisions based on human responsibility, faithfulness, and morality.
Lastly I will add that this review of John Paul II's teachings, encyclicals, and doctrinal positions of his church adds to the ongoing definition of "modernity." Unfortunately for the Catholic Church, progressive and modern advances almost reflexively equate with immorality, and there appears a sense of skepticism and doubt of corruption when considering the advancing global culture of the 21st century. The cure to upcoming immorality and doubt about the future is faith in Jesus Christ (wasn't anyone in the Vatican listening to Radiohead in 1997? Our future with the robots and the computers is going to be OK ;-) ). As a millennial thinker, I have faith there is more optimism to be had with the current times and in modernity. We should embrace our traditions and learn from wisdom of scripture, but we have the opportunity to develop a humanism that embraces the possibilities of technology and science. Not the opportunity to develop the most awesomest iPhone ever, but the possibility to save lives with biomedicine, incorporate pragmatic family planning strategies, develop agriculture systems that not only increase efficiency in production but improve equal distribution to communities in need of nourishment, develop systems that will combat climate change, and create meaningful opportunities to speak with members of different faiths to find solutions to problems rather than reasons to exclude and ostracize. Modernity does not need to maintain that human life will become base an immoral, without regard to human sanctity; a positive embrace of changing modern times should look forward to the possibilities of what future scientists, philosophers, humanitarians, politicians, and preservers of culture could do to advance human morality and the opportunities of human nature. Pope Francis' Church seems like it could be taking this direction (and not just because Francis in on Instagram now). John Paul's thematic concern of preserving human rights and freedom of choice, perhaps, takes on a new definition in the 21st century; progress, one can hope, will involve a positive embrace of changing times, not an embrace of denial and ignorance, and simple retreat to dogma.
June 2, 2017
I read this book partly as an exploration of Roman Catholicism. As I studied, I found a liberal evangelical church leader who claims to be Bible believing said that I would find Pope John Paul to be a true saved believer in Jesus Christ, even though he is a Roman Catholic (and the highest ranking).
It was an enjoyable read. He is a very charismatic leader. It is a great rags-to-riches story of an unlikely person climbing the ladder to the top.
He clearly is not trusting in Jesus Christ's atonement as the sole basis for salvation; instead he is trusting in man-made traditions of works. It's quite obvious at several places, that he doesn't know the Bible.
I'm not suggesting Roman Catholics cannot be saved. Many are. These are the ones who are trusting in Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation, and not in their own efforts. However most seem to be trusting in their own religious efforts. They depend on practices like idolatry, and vain repetition of prayers, which both completely contradict the Bible. These, as well as John Paul, are not saved according to Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
It was an enjoyable read. He is a very charismatic leader. It is a great rags-to-riches story of an unlikely person climbing the ladder to the top.
He clearly is not trusting in Jesus Christ's atonement as the sole basis for salvation; instead he is trusting in man-made traditions of works. It's quite obvious at several places, that he doesn't know the Bible.
I'm not suggesting Roman Catholics cannot be saved. Many are. These are the ones who are trusting in Jesus Christ as their only hope of salvation, and not in their own efforts. However most seem to be trusting in their own religious efforts. They depend on practices like idolatry, and vain repetition of prayers, which both completely contradict the Bible. These, as well as John Paul, are not saved according to Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
April 2, 2024
In the pages of this biography, the life of a remarkable man unfolds with great writing of George Weigel whom I admire. Unable to witness JPII's papacy due to my age, I find solace in George Weigel's artful narrative, which unveils the profound blessings his tenure bestowed upon the Church. One of the best biographies I have read lately, in terms of how comprehensive it was but also use of language. It was not a wooden, rough edged historical narrative with bunch of data but a narrative that captivates and brings you closer to JPII.
April 3, 2024
Truly can’t tell if this was Annie’s mood or actual feedback on the book:
First third: interested
Middle third: this book sucks & I am bored
Final third: wow, such great content; such a holy man & a great synthesis of his impact on the entire world
First third: interested
Middle third: this book sucks & I am bored
Final third: wow, such great content; such a holy man & a great synthesis of his impact on the entire world
May 4, 2010
Finally made it through this one, have to admit with a bit of skimming. Early on in this JPII biography George Weigel laments the fact that the media so often portrays the goings on in John Paul II’s world from a purely political viewpoint, when in reality, while certainly having a political role, the pope was primarily motivated by the spiritual aspect of his office. Nevertheless, this biography reads as a chronology of the political forays of the now late pope. Never ending accounts of the pope’s clashes with Eastern European communist governments, Central American governments, conflicts with the political left in Europe and America, inter-church politics, intra-church politics, the specific politics of the Curia (Vatican bureaucracy), etc., etc. Although Weigel often makes it clear that John Paul II gave priority in his life to prayer and ministry, this biography provides little insight into that part of the pope’s life. Perhaps necessarily so, as those things are not easily known, while the worldly acts of a pope are readily accessible.
April 21, 2013
Witness to hope is a well-researched and comprehensive biography of John Paul II. It does a learned job in providing backgrounds to the political and social climates covered in Karol Wojtyla's past. This gives a feel for the tension and precarious balances present in a World War II-era Eastern Europe (Poland) and Cold War-era Western Europe (Rome). This also allows for a context and understanding of those times and what living in those eras would have felt like.
At times, however, the book reads like an uninterrupted list of superlatives for the Pontiff. The answers to JPII's critics and detractors are back loaded at the end of the book. On the whole, the book then becomes balanced, but it may have been better served humanizing John Paul II throughout the book.
At times, however, the book reads like an uninterrupted list of superlatives for the Pontiff. The answers to JPII's critics and detractors are back loaded at the end of the book. On the whole, the book then becomes balanced, but it may have been better served humanizing John Paul II throughout the book.
March 27, 2012
Pope John Paul II was a true inspiration to myself before I read this book. After I read it I realised how truly a great man he was.
His life story, if fiction, would be too far fetched to actually believe. From his simple upbringing in Poland he encountered the horrors of Nazi occupation and then the further horrors of a Communist regime and then to come through the end of all that and rise through the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to become Pope and be one of the most witnessed human beings in history.
Pope John Paul II was a truly remarkable human being who was led through his life by God himself.
His life story, if fiction, would be too far fetched to actually believe. From his simple upbringing in Poland he encountered the horrors of Nazi occupation and then the further horrors of a Communist regime and then to come through the end of all that and rise through the hierarchy of the Catholic Church to become Pope and be one of the most witnessed human beings in history.
Pope John Paul II was a truly remarkable human being who was led through his life by God himself.
February 19, 2013
It took me quite a while to get through this book, but it was well worth the effort. What an amazing man Pope JPII was. Even if you're not a Catholic or even a Christian, you have to admire the effort that this man put into living and spreading his faith. The miles traveled, the numerous writings, surviving the Nazi occupation of Poland during WWII and then the Communist Government thereafter. Pope JPII raised the bar for future Popes. He was truly a giant of the 20th century, and his impact will be felt for years to come.
August 22, 2012
Not for the faint of heart or the impatient! I gained a deeper insight into the life of a true leader of the Church. In particular, I enjoyed reading how JPIi set an example for Christian discipleship, used his influence for a greater good, and stood firm to uphold the teaching of Jesus Christ. Finally, this book gave me a new appreciation of papal encyclicals and their importance as learning resources for the faithful.
June 21, 2012
Weigel's tome is a must read for everyone. He loses a star because of the long and tedious hundred pages or so where Weigel recounts every conversation and letter that went into ending communism. Eck! Undoubtedly, it was important in understanding the pope, but Weigel obviously loves this stuff. 95 pages could be edited out and readers would - i think - be appreciative. Otherwise, it's an amazing work that ought to be on every bookshelf.
July 9, 2015
If you want to understand the challenges St. John Paul II had to face during his years as the successor of St Peter you must read this book. From the priest chastised on the tarmac at Managua's Sandino International Airport to the encounter with Mehmet Ali Agca, from the intervention in the Jesuits to the meeting with Mother Theresa, this book shows us how hard is the mission of the Pope and how hard was to John Paul II to be a Pope in those turbulent years.
June 12, 2008
I read this as a protestant intrigued by the cultural impact that this man was making in the world at large. It called me to carefully examine my assumptions about Catholocism as a whole. What an inspirational human being. I you have read the pope's writings you may agree that Mr. Weigel I feel made his subject's mind and heart more accessible than John Paul could have done himself.
June 9, 2010
No better history lesson on the 20th century than to study the remarkable life of JPII. The best thing about this book is Weigel gives an introductory summary of all of JP's writings... brilliant writings we will be unpacking for centuries!
December 29, 2018
St. John Paul II gave George Weigel unprecedented ‘access’ into his life. Weigel included so much detail. Though the amount of details was overwhelming, the result, at the end, was that I felt like I had just ‘walked with’ John Paul through his life. It was precisely how Karol met God in the smallest details of his life that allowed his whole person to be taken up by the Spirit and be directed by God in all the ways he was.
After reading the book, I am again awestruck by just how profoundly influential the life and heart of this man were for the Church. With Christ the Redeemer of man at the center of John Paul’s spirituality, he pointed the light to reveal the depths of the dignity of the human person in the midst of an entire lifetime overshadowed by the darkness, loneliness, and anti-human modern agenda in all its forms.
In my walk with the pope over the last few weeks, I’ve come to realize just how much the Church’s current teaching regarding anthropology owes to this man. The truths he articulated have always been true, but mostly hidden; truths that, until now, I’ve come to realize haven’t been so deeply known and understand until very recent times.
Grateful for the time spent in this work. Thank you George Weigel. St.John Paul II, pray for us.
After reading the book, I am again awestruck by just how profoundly influential the life and heart of this man were for the Church. With Christ the Redeemer of man at the center of John Paul’s spirituality, he pointed the light to reveal the depths of the dignity of the human person in the midst of an entire lifetime overshadowed by the darkness, loneliness, and anti-human modern agenda in all its forms.
In my walk with the pope over the last few weeks, I’ve come to realize just how much the Church’s current teaching regarding anthropology owes to this man. The truths he articulated have always been true, but mostly hidden; truths that, until now, I’ve come to realize haven’t been so deeply known and understand until very recent times.
Grateful for the time spent in this work. Thank you George Weigel. St.John Paul II, pray for us.
June 24, 2021
NOTE this is a review of an ABRIDGED audiobook that was roughly 10 hours long. The actual book is over 1,000 pages. So I have no idea how much has been cut, but I presume a substantial amount.
This focused on the first 20 years of his papacy and his life beforehand. I felt this biography was fair, leaning in favor of the pontiff, but giving voice to criticisms as well. Any objective person will say that Pope was an instrumental figure of the 20th century. Accomplishing more through peaceful diplomacy than arguably any other person that century. He was a transformational figure for for church and is beloved by Polish Catholics for good reason. This biography certainly does him justice. The author doesn't merely mention events, but also gives the needed context to properly understand them.
This focused on the first 20 years of his papacy and his life beforehand. I felt this biography was fair, leaning in favor of the pontiff, but giving voice to criticisms as well. Any objective person will say that Pope was an instrumental figure of the 20th century. Accomplishing more through peaceful diplomacy than arguably any other person that century. He was a transformational figure for for church and is beloved by Polish Catholics for good reason. This biography certainly does him justice. The author doesn't merely mention events, but also gives the needed context to properly understand them.
August 20, 2025
Very detailed and systematic biography of St. JPII - a powerful witness of the Catholic faith, heart of a priest for the people, and deep spirituality. I appreciated the historical context for his life, trips, and Vatican II. However, occasionally George Weigel seems to be a little dramatic with his "setting the stage" for John Paul to come and "save the day." Nevertheless, I would recommend.
June 3, 2017
Well worth the months it took me to read.
January 10, 2018
Very good. It got a little boring at the very end as the author was wrapping up the narrative and trying I guess to speculate about JP2s legacy. But otherwise very compelling.
August 9, 2020
To allege that this book is well-written would be an understatement. Each sentence and paragraph is packed with information, but it flaunts an easy flow and does not read like a textbook. I learned so much about JPII, the Church, and world politics over the past three months of experiencing this book. I cannot recommend this book more; I will definitely read it again.
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July 1, 2025King 👑 (also kind of cheated because I listened to the abridged audiobook version)
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