The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II

A well-written book, which can be appreciated and understood by Catholics and non-Catholics alike. (For those who seem to think that the only criticism of the late Pope comes from those who don't understand the Catholic Church, let me state here that I am a practising, progressive Catholic). There were no great surprises for me - I've long been concerned at the high-handedness of Pope John Paul and the Vatican Curia; this book confirmed my opinions while supplying a lot of background information explaining, as far as anyone can, how and why John Paul acted as he did. Probably the most appalling aspects of John Paul's pontificate - to a liberal thinker - were the hypocrisy of encouraging rebellion against left-wing regimes while clamping down on any protest against right-wing rulers; and the encouragement of tale-telling and denunciation of anyone who might even vaguely be suspected of harboring opinions not in full accord with the pope's own views - a mindset worthy of both the Nazi and Communist regimes under which he himself had suffered. Cornwell details many such instances of Vatican repression. There is another major act of hypocrisy - the branding of homosexuality as "intrinsically evil", and the refusal of needed pastoral care for religious homosexuals at the same time that the Vatican has done its best to put the issue of priestly paedophiles to one side, and has to this day failed to issue either a free-ranging enquiry or to apologise to the victims. Both issues are explored in the book, although it could be argued they deserve a book of their own. I suspect that the full extent of the damage done to the Church by John Paul II won't be fully realised until the Pontificate after the current one, when the only choices for a new Pontiff will have to be made from the ranks of those ultra-conservatives appointed as Bishops under the late Pope, and the Church will find itself hopelessly outdated and irrelevant. Cornwell sees clearly the already huge divide between the Vatican hierarchy and the Church on the ground, and it's unlikely that the division will be healed by Benedict XVI or his successor. Far more likely is the scenario that under a succession of arch- conservatives, engineered by John Paul, the imortance of the Catholic Church will be increasingly diminished in a world that is changing faster than anyone could have envisaged at the start of John Paul's reign. This is a valuable book, honest and forthright - if anything, it is kinder than it might have been.

Knowing the Holy Father was not going to be around much longer I finally read and finished this book yesterday (the day before he passed). The author does let us have a glimpse at this pope and helps bring up questions of things that may be glossed over or even covered up by his assistants and biographer. By the time I was done reading this, I felt well versed in some of the failures of the pope; places where he was hypocritical and others where he might have done more. Having said this, however, the author's bend seems to focus so much on that negative (until the end) that one could almost forget the good that this pontiff brought to the world. All in all, a very good book, lots of information and very thought provoking. It is an honest look about the pontiff and the papacy definitely without being a white-wash.

Parochus makes the typically anemic criticism against all who question the Papacy. Deny, deny, deny. I grant that historically, John Paul II has been the most significant Pope of my Catholic lifetime. Has he actively done anything to propel the Mother Church forward? No. Parochus sounds as silly as any number of my orthodox friends regarding the Holy Father. Wake up, Parochus! Alice sleeps right next to you. This book regarding his Holiness is certainly accurate regarding the Holy Father's confusing legacy. I recommend it to any Catholic not too blind to be confronted with the truth.

The author has given a very balanced look at the Pope, a human being who has both achieved great things and yet has also hurt the Church in some ways. Those who feel it's disloyal to point out the obvious downside along with the great achievements are living in denial. No one is perfect. In particular, on the plus side, Cornewell points out this Pope's considerable influence on the fall of Communism. This Pope's weakness has been an autocratic style of centralized power that has weakened the Church overall by denying the value of diversity, democracy and local control. He makes a strong case and yet is always respectful of this remarkable Pope. Highly recommended.

John Cornwell has written a temperate, judicious and very helpful biography of the present pope. There is a human tendency to mystify all authority figures, and the Roman Church is not immune from this tendency. Cornwell offsets this tendency, e.g., as exemplified by George Weigel's biography of John Paul II, which easily qualifies as hagiography. (I am a Roman Catholic priest-theologian, ordained 42 years ago.)