The Pope S Body

In contrast to the role traditionally fulfilled by secular rulers, the pope has been perceived as an individual person existing in a body subject to decay and death, yet at the same time a corporeal representation of Christ and the Church, eternity and salvation. Using an array of evidence from the eleventh through the fifteenth centuries, Agostino Paravicini- Bagliani addresses this paradox. He studies the rituals, metaphors, and images of the pope's body as they developed over time and shows how they resulted in the expectation that the pope's body be simultaneously physical and metaphorical. Also included is a particular emphasis on the thirteenth century when, during the pontificate of Boniface VIII (1294-1303), the papal court became the focus of medicine and the natural sciences as physicians devised ways to protect the pope's health and prolong his life. Masterfully translated from the Italian, this engaging history of the pope's body provides a new perspective for readers to understand the papacy, both historically and in our own time.

The traditions associated with a pope’s death have changed from when they were buried in the catacombs of Rome. Various ceremonies, rites and rituals developed over time, but a formal procedure was not initiated until the early 1300s and even then was not always strictly followed. This comprehensive reference book provides information on the deaths, funerals and burial places of each pope and antipope from St. Peter (Apostle) to John Paul I. (Innocent X was almost gnawed by rats because no one would bury him; Alexander VI was stuffed into a carpet and pummeled into his coffin; and the corpse of Formosus was physically put on trial...) The Introduction presents a brief history of papal funerals and tombs, and also covers modern burials. A unique feature of the book is its presentation of all papal epitaphs, in their original language and in English—many translated for the first time.

“A model of investigatory journalism and a small masterpiece of the genre.”—Anthony Burgess On the eve of September 28, 1978, John Paul I died unexpectedly—apparently of a heart attack—after a reign of only 33 days. But within the Vatican there were serious disagreements about the time of death, who found the body, and the true state of the Pope’s health prior to his death. These arguments led to rumors of foul play and conspiracy—variously involving the KGB, the Freemasons, crooked financiers, and Vatican officials. In 1987, the Vatican invited New York Times–bestselling author John Cornwell to conduct a new, independent investigation into the true circumstances of the Pope’s death. In A Thief in the Night: Life and Death in the Vatican, Cornwell tells the story of his search, including a startling theory about Pope Paul I’s untimely demise—and a chilling and unprecedented look inside one of the world’s oldest, most secretive institutions. “As brilliantly written as a prize-winning mystery story.”—Andrew Greeley “Brilliant . . . this marvelous and compelling investigation has a terrible ring of truth.”—The Times (London)

A new critical translation of Pope John Paul II's talks on the Theology of the Body by the internationally renowned biblical scholar Michael Waldstein. With meticulous scholarship and profound insight, Waldstein presents John Paul II's magnificent vision of the human person. Includes a preface by Cardinal Schönborn, a foreword by Christopher West, a comprehensive index of words and phrases, a scriptural index, and a reference table for other versions of the papal texts. Recipient of a CPA Award!

Miles Pattenden takes an analytic approach to the papal elections of the fifteenth to eighteenth centuries, with their ceremonial pomp and high drama, to understand the broader history of the early modern papacy and how this elite political group approached decision-making and problem-solving through four centuries of dramatic change in the Church

The stories of seven popes who ruled at seven different critical periods in the 600 years leading into the Reformation.

The sensational story of the last two centuries of the papacy, its most influential pontiffs, troubling doctrines, and rise in global authority In 1799, the papacy was at rock bottom: The Papal States had been swept away and Rome seized by the revolutionary French armies. With cardinals scattered across Europe and the next papal election uncertain, even if Catholicism survived, it seemed the papacy was finished. In this gripping narrative of religious and political history, Paul Collins tells the improbable success story of the last 220 years of the papacy, from the unexalted death of Pope Pius VI in 1799 to the celebrity of Pope Francis today. In a strange contradiction, as the papacy has lost its physical power--its armies and states--and remained stubbornly opposed to the currents of social and scientific consensus, it has only increased its influence and political authority in the world.