Customer Reviews

The Hidden Pope: The Untold Story of a Lifelong Friendship That Is Changing the Relationship Between Catholics and Jews - The Personal Journey of John Paul II and Jerzy Kluger

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I am not a particularly religious or spiritual person but in the last few years the persona of the pope has long impressed me,but he too has fallen under harsh judgements from the media, fellow catholics and at times it would seem just about everyone. for a long time I wondered if he too was just another religious celebrity and that his gestures and words meant nothing. however after reading this book I felt a change of heart, there are some truly good people in this world , and their actions need not be extraordinary or special. It would seem that his entire life has been an example of how the little things we do for one another can mean so much. As one previous reader mentioned it will change your life, and i think it has,at least for me.

hope that other readers out there feel the same way yahoo from Canada

This book was so touching that I beg both Catholics and Jews to read it and meditate on the message. I laughed and cried. It is a great book.

This is a fabulous book. I am neither Catholic nor Jewish, but I was fascinated by the depth of the man we all call Pope. I had no idea of his personal journey, and the breadth of his goodness. Too many times, we don't look beyond the title and the robes. This is truly a saintly man.

The rich and incredible story of two boys -- one catholic, the other jewish -- whose friendship throughout the twentieth century has managed to enlighten and strengthen relations between catholics and jews. This is an essential read for ANYONE interested in human relations in history and in our time. I cannot make a higher recommendation. READ THIS BOOK, IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE IN UNEXPECTED AND WONDERFUL WAYS>

I bought this book a few years ago. The recent death of Pope John Paul II inspired me to take it off the bookshelf and start reading one night. If you are a gentile and think you know the meaning and impact of anti-semitism, think again and read this book. This is the history of 20th century Europe told through the lives and experiences of Lolek and Jerzy, two precocious small town Polish friends whose friendship helped change the course Catholic-Jewish relations after twenty centuries of misunderstanding and mistrust. It was providential that both ended up residing in Rome and worked together to change the perceptions of many people who have adopted anti-semetic attitudes based upon false assumptions and lies. Through their eyes see the horrors of Nazism and Communism as their friends and families are slaughtered by these inhumane political systems. By the end of the book you will feel like you know these two men (Pope John Paul II and Jerzey Kluger) as very very special human beings. It may be profane but they remind me of Pat O'Brien and James Cagney combination in the movie, "Angels with Dirty Faces." One, the saintly but very world wise priest and the other, a wise cracking but trouble prone friend. These two men teach us that at a personal level Jews and Christians are cousins in faith and these ancient misunderstandings should be resolved once and forever. The Hidden Pope would make a wonderful movie about two mensches for the ages!

Readers of the Hidden Pope will be saddened to hear of Darcy O'Brien's death at his home in Tulsa from a heart attack on March 2nd. He was 58. Information on his life and work, including the Hidden Pope, can be found on the web.

This book gives an eye opening view of the current Pope. It shows how his upbringing in Poland led him to have his feelings of friendship with the Jewish people. He is presented as a true "tzadik". The book also briefly relates on how the works of Pope John XXIII and Cardinals Willebrands, O'Connor and Spellman have brought about a better understanding of Judaism in the Church. If their messages could only filter down to the populace...

I found this book very informative on the Pope, who has always been a hero of mine. It was very indepth and historical. Although it was not negative about the Pope it did seem to contain some incorrect statments on the views of catholics and the teachings of the Church. I felt it was assumed that catholics are, in general, negative towards Jews. I have always been a believing catholic and have never thought of Jews as "Christ Killers" or anything like that. I have never found anything in Catholic teaching that would support those views, most of these from writings from before John Paul II. Usually I read that we are all personally guilty of the crucifiction by our own sins. Over all it was a good and worthwhile reading.

Having read many other books by this author, I am constantly amazed at not only the depth of knowledge O'Brien brings to each of his works, but also by the depth of the author himself, who obviously lives the research of each subject. Such dedication to research is highly visible in his latest, and sadly, his last offering.

The product was an unbelievable buy and I was happy to be able to complete the transaction. This way of doing business is excellent. Thanks to Raphael Books and Amazon.