book about the history of the popes

[777rak]

Hello I was wondering if anyone could recommend me a Catholic scholar book about the history of the popes?

I found a some, but I would like your guys and gals input on these. Thanks

The Oxford Dictionary of Popes (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes

Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy

[Bartolome Casas]

Papal Sin: Structures of Deceit, by Garry Wills

Why I Am a Catholic, by Garry Wills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garry_Wills

Though much of his books focus on things we modern Catholic find objectionable in the Catholic past, not everything he discusses is negative. He acknowledges and writes about good popes. In any case, I think he is a basically honest author, who give a fair treatment to the historical facts.

The popes are not God or Messiahs. They are human beings who occupy a certain God-ordained office, and some are faithful to that office and some are not.

[777rak]

Thanks

Originally Posted by Bartolome Casas

[u]

The popes are not God or Messiahs. They are human beings who occupy a certain God-ordained office, and some are faithful to that office and some are not.

Well put

[GWright]

See here for the following reviews of:

(Havent read any myself, but I recalled these recent reviews when I say your thread).

The Popes: A HistoryJohn Julius Norwich
Chatto, 506pp, £25

The Journey of the PopesGerard Noel
Catholic Herald Ltd, 382pp, ££15 UK, Euros 23, $24 US

http://www.spectator.co.uk/books/680...-fathers.thtml

Perhaps be wary of the latter book (by Noel). Although he is a former editor of the Catholic Herald, (a good quality and reliable British Catholic newspaper, which I read weekly), the Herald's own review of his book does list a surprising criticism, thus:

A drawback of this interesting anthology is the lack of any reference books or bibliography to support authorial statements, such as: “The notion that priests can’t be married and women can’t be priests would have been greeted with guffaws of laughter by Peter who, of course, was married himself. In his time, priests were allowed to be married and women were allowed to be priests.”

http://archive.catholicherald.co.uk/...ancis-phillips

You know what many Catholic-journalists are like - they often use invented drama, or their own supposed rejecting of Church teaching - as a sensational point to drum up attention for their work.