John Paul II: Portrait of a Pontiff

The first of its kind, this volume offers an emotional and authentic portrait of John Paul II. A discreet but constant presence, photojournalist Gianni Giansanti has photographed the successor to the Throne of Peter over the course of his long pontificate, during excursions among the crowds, in moments of personal meditation, and from, his first steps across the papal threshold to his recent and difficult trip to the Holy Land. The accompanying text is the work of Marco Tosatti, Vatican correspondent for the Italian daily newspaper LA STAMPA, who has covered John Paul II daily, for almost twenty years. The resulting blend is a thrilling series of tableaux chronicling the events of our own recent history, filled with the uncertainties and the hopes which have marked the turning of this century.From behind the scenes at the Vatican to his pastoral trips, the Pope emerges as a man of faith in solitary prayer and as a statesman at the table with the world's most powerful politicians. Karel Wojtyla appears more than ever as a complex figure restored to his genuine human dimension. In the final chapter of this remarkable volume, the ecumenical role of the Pope, perhaps the most distinguishing feature of his pontificate, is documented.The authors accompany the reader to every corner of the globe, illustrating the detailed preparation that precedes the Pope's every pastoral visit to distant lands, his rare moments of privacy, his arrival and welcome in the Philippines, Poland and in Mexico by millions of the faithful, his meetings with extraordinary figures. like Mother Theresa of Calcutta, and his historical trips to Fidel Castro?'s Havana and to St. Catherine?'s monastery in the Sinai. Many of the pictures in the book are taken from John Paul II's unforgettable pilgrimage to Jerusalem where he performed his role as ambassador of the message of evangelism.