The Teachings Of Pope John Paul Ii

While pontiff, Saint John Paul II brought forth an abundance of documents which will continue to be a permanent source of enrichment for the Church and society. This volume of summaries of the Pope’s major documents, with questions for study, makes these invaluable writings more accessible to each of us, and emphasizes the aspects of his teachings of most interest and application to the lives of the laity. For personal, small group, or class enrichment, John Fagan’s summaries help expose and illuminate the heart and mind of one of the Church’s greatest figures in history. John E. Fagan is an attorney who lives and works in Northern Virginia. He was born in Philadelphia and was raised in Colorado Springs. He has degrees from the University of Notre Dame (BA), Northwestern University (JD), and New York University (LLM).

Winner of a first-place award for English translation editions from The Catholic Media Association. Teachings for an Unbelieving World is a newly discovered work written by St. John Paul II—then Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków—in the years just after Vatican II. He uses St. Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens in Acts 17 as a framework for articulating the faith in a culture of skepticism and unbelief. These thirteen brief reflections provide compelling teaching for Catholics in today’s post-Christian world and give fresh insight into JPII’s pontificate. This is the first English-language publication of this important work. St. John Paul II composed these thirteen reflections at a unique point of convergence in history—the closing of Vatican II in 1965 and the 1966 observance of one thousand years of Christianity in Poland. Teachings for an Unbelieving World is an extended meditation on Acts 17 where Paul speaks to the cultural elite of Athens after he observed an altar of an unknown god in the city. Quoting from both the Bible and the documents of Vatican II, John Paul II draws timely wisdom from the apostle’s mission to bring the truth of the Gospel to a worldly culture of sophistication and disbelief, one not unlike our own. The future pope reveals Paul’s memorable encounter as an enduring framework to boldly present the core truths of Catholic faith to those living under Poland’s communist regime. In so doing, JPII demonstrates how relevant Paul’s words are today and equips us to meet the challenges of proclaiming the faith in our times. Teachings for an Unbelieving World affirms the continuity of Catholic faith about: humanity’s place in God’s creation; our search for meaning, truth, and freedom; addressing a culture of unbelief; the gift of redemption in Jesus Christ; the grace of the Holy Spirit; the role of the Church in the world; the power of the Eucharist; the redemptive and self-giving nature of human love; and the importance of prayer.

Popes are the Church's chief shepherds. While some focused on governing the Church and addressing challenges from the world, others recognized their primary responsibility to proclaim and teach the Gospel. Author Alan Schreck calls these the "teaching popes" and John Paul II was such a pope, leading the Church and impacting the world with his witness and his teaching. The encyclical letter has been, in modern times, the instrument for popes to express their most important teaching teachings that have lasting value for the Church, and often for the whole world. Dr. Schreck invites the reader to become familiar with the encyclical letters of Pope John Paul II. In The Legacy of Pope John Paul II, Dr. Schreck breaks down more scholarly writing into accessible language. The reflection questions and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter help facilitate a systematic study of the central teachings of this brilliant but pastoral pope, who conveyed the truth in love.

In a papacy that lasted more than a quarter of a century, Pope John Paul II left a huge amount of official teaching through encyclicals, apostolic exhortations and letters, homilies, addresses, and other published texts. This anthology has been selected from his many writings, with introductions explaining their importance and place in Catholic doctrine. The book arranges his teaching according to twelve themes, including revelation, the human condition, the sacraments, spirituality, and more. Each chapter and, where necessary, sections of chapters have brief introductions, aimed at "situating" the teaching. Readers will find that this book: draws on the most important and clearest examples of the pope's teachings; relies on primary sources, not paraphrases; provides comprehensive information about various sources available for those who wish to read the full texts of the documents, organizes the many disparate areas on which the pope spoke; encourages the readers to make their own judgments about this late pope; and is the first of its kind in the English-speaking world. Book jacket.

The National Catholic Reporter editors have selected the most significant of Peter Hebblewaite's articles on the life and times and church of Pope John Paul II. They were stirring years of world change and papal trips and not a little controversy.

Contained in THE WISDOM OF JOHN PAUL II are essential excerpts from papal encyclicals, sermons, addresses, and other statements, both formal and occasional, from throughout his Holiness's papacy. They discuss, matters of faith and conscience, and range from the problems of Contemporary Spirituality and Morality to Progress in the Modern World and Human Rights - all informed by the profound wisdom and deep understanding of a man who devoted his life to God and His peoples.

This work gives readers a glimpse into the mind, heart, and vision of Pope John Paul II regarding the present and future life and role of laity in the Church, and his thoughts and reflections inspire us all in our daily living of the Lord's call. This is a collection of insightful teachings from over 300 of the Pope's sermons and speeches. Every word in the book, including titles and sub-headings, is directly from the Pope's sermons. John Paul II stands out as a religious leader who has himself been immersed in the daily grind and joys of lay life. He knew the hardships of the factory, the exhilaration of sport, the intellectual challenge of university life, and the daily pressures of unjust government. In his many journeys we saw him at home with church leaders, politicians, workers, and youth. He chose to address the laity of the world on a broad spectrum of topics, and it is truly exciting to read his reflections and respond to the challenges he presents.