JOHN PAUL II: A Light for the World

As the pope's silver jubilee approaches, publishers are gearing up with all manner of tributes to the beloved pontiff. This coffee-table book, with memorable full-color images by official Vatican photographers and reflections by many people who have had personal encounters with John Paul II, may be the pick of the crop. As imprimaturs go, it has an impeccable pedigree: it is an official commemorative book commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Also, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan weighs in with a foreword highlighting the pope's commitment to international human rights. The book is divided into three sections, exploring the pope's roles as pastor (including his leadership in family life issues and his stand against sexual abuse in the priesthood); a pilgrim (highlighting the more than 700,000 miles the pope has traveled in his tenure); and prophet (discussing his ethical stance on issues such as human rights, racism, labor and the death penalty). Throughout, various cardinals, monsignori and archbishops share brief anecdotes about their personal encounters with the man who was born Karol Wojtyla. While some of these are so fawning as to remove any trace of humanity from the man, other remembrances are candid and humorous. The book's photographs, which span the course of his 25-year papacy, show him interacting with people all over the world, and also depict some private moments. The book closes with a brief chronology of John Paul II's life, as well as synopses of his encyclicals and other key writings. (Oct.)