Pope John Paul the FIRST

[BOSSHOG]

Anybody read any books about the first Pope John Paul, especially about the mystery surrounding his death. I usually have no problems finding books I'm looking for but I come up blank on this subject. I've scoured old bookstores in New Orleans and have found nothing. Any info would be appreciated.

[nam78_two]

1. There is a book called "In God's name"

That I read when I was in my teens I think-I don't remember much of it, but it was interesting even if very CTish, so probably not to everyone's taste.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0552132888/sr=8-3/qid=1161889323/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3/102-5400793-2636154?ie=UTF8&s=books

If I remember it right, the Vatican came off as being pretty much like the mafia..

[BOSSHOG]

5. Thanks very Much

I will check this out.

[nam78_two]

7. Oh wow

I was just checking out that Amazon page I sent you ( I was thinking I would like to read it again too now) and most of the available copies are selling for $60+.....
Why would a little paper-back cost so much even if its out of print...??

Thats bizarre....

[BOSSHOG]

8. Put it on your Christmas list

I keep a running Christmas list throughout the year. My wife and mother in law really appreciate it.

Maybe that one is autographed??

[nam78_two]

9. Yeah I should do something like that

Because now that I am reminded of it, it was quite a fascinating book and I think I would be able to comprehend it much better now. You should definitely check it out-its worth a read!

[BOSSHOG]

13. My wife poked around on the internet

and got me a paperback version of In God's Name for 15.00 from a bookstore in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its in pretty good condition for being 22 years old. My wife started at Bdalton and went from there.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. JP #1: "The Smiling Pope".

I was sorry to see him die one month after assuming the throne, so to speak.

[BOSSHOG]

4. I thought he was the greatest human ever

A happy, pleasant fellow. Then I heard on the radio that the Pope died. I thought, wait the Pope died last month. He really perked me up.

[LSparkle]

10. Patti Smith wrote a song about him -- I think before he died ...

I can't remember the name of the album, but the song was written while he was alive (it expressed her happiness at the selection of a pope who seemed like a truly kind, Christ-like human being).

[niyad]

3. "in god's name" by david yallop--talks about the connections

with the bank of rome, all sorts of things. most interesting.

[BOSSHOG]

6. Greatly Appreciated

I now have some books to go on my Christmas list. I was totally fascinated with JP the First, if only for a month.

[TygrBright]

11. Well, if you're going to read the tinfoil hat versions, you might...

...also want to read the official versions, for balance. They're both out there, though I don't remember the titles of the books. Essentially, the tinfoil hat version is that the Vatican Bank put him out of the way because he was a reformer and they feared he'd expose all kinds of sinister secret dealings. The official version is that he died of a fairly unusual concatenation of natural causes, and that although there was plenty of mismanagement and corruption at the VBank (later cleaned up during JPII's years,) it wasn't exactly Black Hand conspiracies.

A lot of cash does flow through the VBank and given how antiquated the record systems were until the 1980s, it would hardly be surprising that a lot of corruption was underway. OTOH, given how slipshod every aspect of temporal management of the Church has been for centuries, the idea that they'd have it together enough to keep a vast mafia-linked conspiracy secret in an organization with so many hundreds of people cycling through the administration on a regular basis is hard to credit, too.

You pays your money, you takes your choice, insofar as the tinfoil vs. official versions. The one thing that there is consensus on is that JP was one of the great Lost Opportunities of the Church's historical flow, as well as an extraordinarly shrewd, loving, compassionate, and humble human being.

A real tragedy that he never had a chance to realize his potential, and that the Catholic Church could never benefit from his leadership.

ambiguously,
Bright

[BOSSHOG]

12. I have been mystified by the man

for a long time. I'd prefer to know the truth about him and his life and his works. I think it is fair to say that his cause of death will never be known. Your last two paragraphs sums it all up very nicely for me. Thanks for your feedback.