Jesus Wept
Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church
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Narrated by:
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Richard Cohen
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By:
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Philip Shenon
About this listen
From the best-selling author and former New York Times investigative reporter, an unprecedented look at the defining struggles of the modern Catholic Church, told through the lives of the last seven popes
When the jolly Italian peasant-turned-cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli of Venice was elected Pope John XXIII in 1958, change was in the air. The Church, many said, had refused to enter the twentieth century. In response, Pope John launched Vatican II, an “ecumenical council” that summoned hundreds of church leaders to Rome. It marked one of the most progressive turns the Church had taken in centuries: “medicine of mercy,” as Pope John called it. Yet not everyone in the Church was prepared to accept this modernization. The lines were drawn—in a battle that continues to rage into the twenty-first century.
In Jesus Wept, Philip Shenon takes us inside the Holy See to reveal its intricacies, hypocrisies, and hidden maneuverings, bringing all the momentous disputes and issues vividly to life: priestly celibacy, birth control, homosexuality, restoring ties with other Christians and Jews, shameful sex abuse crimes, the role of women in the Church.
In his rich portrayals of the popes from John to Francis, Shenon draws on research across four continents, including hundreds of interviews and the exhaustive archival material. He also brings to light other key figures in the Church, such as Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, the incredibly powerful, conservative, and staunchly anticommunist director of the Holy Office under Pius XII, who lived proudly by the motto semper idem—“always the same.” This is a consummate, vibrant history of the modern Church.
©2025 Philip Shenon (P)2025 Random House AudioCritic reviews
“A detailed, well-researched, and quite frankly epic examination of the Roman Catholic popes of living memory . . . [Shenon’s] assessments are honest and, at times, brutal . . . Apologists for the church will doubtlessly find plenty of reason to argue with Shenon, but he also gives them a great deal of material to defend. An extraordinary accomplishment: controversial, but crucial for discussions in today’s Catholic Church.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Drawing on prodigious research, the author paints a richly detailed portrait of a complex, hierarchical, and secretive institution as it grappled with a modernizing world.”—Publishers Weekly
“Insightful . . . The crises affecting the papacy of Pope Francis have roots extending back decades. To better understand the current pope, investigative journalist Shenon tells the story of the modern papacy through the eyes of the last seven men who have held the office. Beginning with the reign of Pope Pius XII and the aftermath of World War II, the book explores the personalities, politics, and conflicts that marked each pope’s reign . . . Contributions from top theologians about the roles that various women played in papal households add considerable depth and detail to the stories of the popes.”—Library Journal
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