Catholic Church, Popes, popes up to John Paul II 

Two thousand years have passed since St. Peter became the first pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church. In that time civilizations have risen to power and crumbled into dust, and mankind has emerged from the Dark Ages into an epoch of scientific marvels. Through it all the papacy has been a constant and powerful presence in the lives of Catholics the world over.

In this comprehensive and readable volume, Charles A. Coulombe has written fascinating biographies of all the Catholic pontiffs (including twenty-two anti-popes) from Peter to John Paul II. In doing so, he has illuminated the office as well as the men who graced or shamed it, and chronicled significant changes in Catholic doctrine. Every pontiff has faced the challenge in a different way. Whether high-born or of humble origin (St. Callixtus was once a slave), some rose to heights of greatness (St. Leo persuaded Attila the Hun to spare Rome) while others sank to egregious lows (Stephen VII put the disinterred, rotting corpse of his predecessor on trial then dragged it through the streets). Each of them maintained the Catholic Church on the global stage, and served as a reflection - if not a motivator - of his (and in one case, her) times.

With penetrating intelligence and wit, A History of the Popes examines how imperfect human beings have risen to the ideal of embodying spiritual perfection and in the process provides a history of the religion they served.

Charles A. Coulombe writes and lectures on a variety of religious, political, economic, and literary topics. He is also the author of The Muse in the Bottle. He is a former contributing editor to the National Catholic Register and a frequent contributor to such publications as Success, Catholic Twin Circle, Gnosis, FATE, and New Oxford Review.

His work has also appeared in The Irish Democrat, West Coast Review of Books, Reflections, Gaudete, Imago Dei, Christian Order (London), The Constantian, The Pup Tent, Ultra Review, Epiphany Journal, the L.A. Reader and other periodicals. He lives in Los Angeles.

Taken from the inside flaps.

The Pious and the Profane . . .

A History of the Popes illuminates the stunning biographies of the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church over the past 2,000 years. You'll learn that many popes lived under the constant threat of violence, and were either killed or forced to flee Rome for their lives. Some brought enlightenment and hope to their flock, while others used the office to promote their own agendas and enrich their fortunes.

A continuing story of enormous political power and far-reaching spiritual leadership, A History of the Popes provides important insight into the role of the Catholic Church in Western Civilization.

- St. Clement I, the son of a Roman senator, was bound to an anchor and drowned at sea.
- St. Hyppolytus was the first anti-pope.
- St. Leo I, the first pope to be called "The Great," drove Attila the Hun from Rome.
- "Pope" Joan is alleged to have been the only "female" pope.
- Innocent III established the first hospital and approved the establishment of the Franciscan order.
- Alexander VI, possibly the most corrupt, fathered several illegitimate children, including Cesare and Lucrezia Borja (Borgia).
- Julius II commissioned Michelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
- Pius IX, the longest-ruling pope (he was in office from 1846 to 1878), convened Vatican I, which established the doctrine of "papal infallibility."

Taken from the back cover.