Drawing on years of personal interaction with the pope, and on his unique understanding of the intersection of religion and politics, former U.S. ambassador to the vatican and mayor of Boston Ray Flynn shows how John Paul II changed the papacy, perhaps forever.Unlike any other pope, and indeed, unlike any other person, John Paul II has reached out, creating dialogue or creating uproar, but always striving to unite the human community. Flynn (with...
I have read many books about His Holiness Pope John Paul II, and this is by far the BEST book I have read about the Pope. It is very easy to read. Infact, once I started to read I could not stop until I finished the book. When I was done...I could not stop crying. Former Ambassador Flynn did an outstanding job in giving his reader a rare and personal glimpse of the Pope, that other authors who have written biographies about...
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Ray Flynn has taken from his many experiences with Pope John Paul II and put together a highly interesting read. This is not your typical biography, although each stage of the Holy Father's storied life is mentioned. This book gives you the Pope up close and personal, in both his public and private dealings. What an absolutely incredible man this Karol Wojtyla is!!
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I once dreamt that I was sitting in the Vatican gardens at a picnic table with pope John Paul II over a coke and sandwich, and we were having an intimate conversation. This book is the closest thing to that dream, because it gives you the opportunity to understand in-depth the very person of the pope, his human personality, through the thoughtful memories of someone who has had many personal encounters with him. Although I...
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Ambassador Flynn's memoir of the 264th Bishop of Rome is admirably done. It is a warmly affectionate, up-close, well-informed, down-to-earth readable series of vignettes dating from 1969 to the Jubilee Year. Ambassador Flynn has an advantage over other commentators who might be imprisoned in their political dichotomies or perpetually harking back to more "progressive" days: he understands John Paul II, and he understands...
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Ambassador Flynn presents an incredible view of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. Their relationship started not with President Clinton tapping Flynn as Ambassador to the Holy See, but rather 30 years before, in Boston with Cardinal Cushin and Cardinal Wojtya. It is an inspring volume of the relationship between the Vicar of Christ and a representitive of the United States government. But even more inspiring, that of a Catholic...
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