The Last Pope [Paperback]

Osborn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2004

In the tradition of Morris West’s bestselling The Shoes of the Fisherman, this evocative and moving novel takes the reader deep inside the inner world of the Vatican and the American branch of the Holy See to dramatize the great moral issues that are eviscerating the church.

The story begins with the passing of Gregory XVIII, a humble and beloved pope. The Lords of the Church meet in the secret recesses of the Basilica to elect a successor. At that point, forces of reaction and humanity are joined in mortal combat. Father Ignatius Heriot, an American cardinal and a man of decency and caring, struggles with his own inner demons as he faces the possibility of being elected pope. Torn inside, everything changes when he fulfills a promise to the dying pope to meet Father John Zacharias, a charismatic priest who has begun to attract hundreds of thousands of followers, as he preaches for the reforms the church has so bitterly rejected.

As the election gets underway, the battle among the Lords of the Church catches fire and cardinals must decide whether Cardinal Mancini, whose soul belongs to the Inquisition, or Cardinal Heriot, who would bring the reforms to the church so avidly sought by millions of its troubled members, will be elected. In this unrelentingly readable novel of suspense, the reader will not only learn the fascinating secrets of the Vatican, but will confront in his or her own soul the great issues of faith, divinity and good and evil.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Osborn's foray into the inner workings of Vatican politics and the Roman curia packs a powerful punch, ultimately^B delivering an optimistic message about the future of the Roman Catholic Church. After the death of gentle Pope Gregory XVIII, the College of Cardinals convenes in Rome to choose a successor to the throne of Peter. Poised at opposite ends of the theological spectrum are traditionalist Cardinal Agosto Mancini and progressive Cardinal Ignatius Heriot. As Mancini maneuvers behind the scenes to manipulate the election in his favor, Heriot remains curiously aloof from the entire process, harboring a dark secret that he believes precludes him from serious consideration. Meanwhile, a charismatic American priest preaching a seemingly radical brand of Catholicism rooted in love, tolerance, and spirituality, seems to hold the key to the papal legacy. Reminiscent of The Shoes of the Fisherman (1991), this evocation of one of the world's most influential institutions pits the pious against the venal in suspenseful battle for power and control within the church hierarchy. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

David Osborn is the author of nine published novels, including the bestselling Open Season, Heads and Murder on Martha’s Vineyard. He has also written 24 screenplays, including Chase a Crooked Shadow, which is listed by the British Academy of Motion Picture Science as one of the 10 best suspense scripts ever written. His original screenplay for The Trap was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Osborn lives in Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140220244X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402202445
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,039,500 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Extremely one-sided and unbalanced, July 26, 2005

By 

Adam E. Frey (Melbourne, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Pope (Paperback)

Osborn's book is a cross between a criticism of the traditional Catholic Church and a liberal wish fulfillment of what he wants the Church to become. It lacks any real drama or tension, and as some of the other reviewers note, the ending is utterly non-surprising.

The book partially roots itself in a real event wherein a group of liberal Catholics took out a full-page ad in the New York Times and challenged the Church hierarchy to engage in a dialogue over contraception, women priests, etc. The Church shot it down, thus establishing the author's undercurrent that the Church is run by ignorant, tyrannical old men. I find the book's premise that the only "good" Catholic people are those who are young and open-minded, (and conveniently American), and that dialogue and free-thought will solve everything. If that's the case, then why is the book so one-sided?

As a case in point, early into the story, the main character has a litany of traditionally liberal Catholic questions: why is it wrong for a person to use contraception? Why does the Church stand in the way of a woman's right to choose? Osborn fails to present any sound theological justification for why the Church should change its view. It simply revolves around a loose, American feeling of "This is the way I feel." He forgets that if the Church is to maintain its identity as a holy institution founded by Jesus Christ for the purpose of bringing man back to God, then changes in Church philosophy need to be consistent with the core Church beliefs. But instead of logic, theology, or serious debate, the novel is reduced to "the Church keeps me from doing what I want." Where's the dialogue in that?

It's unsurprising, then, that the hero of the story is a young, American Cardinal whose background is from working with the poor, while the villain is an opulent European Cardinal portrayed as a gaunt and bitter old man with delusions of grandeur. The book has no real engagement or question of Church philosophy, but a simple stark contrast of "young is good, old is bad."

To potential readers, I say this: there's better books out there, even those that criticize the Church. (At least "The DaVinci Code" had a plot.) If you're a non-Catholic who wants to learn more about the Church, even from a critical standpoint, I suggest reading The Catechism of the Catholic Church so you can learn what the Church's official teachings are and WHY they teach it (unlike Gregory's book here, which just mulls over what they teach without the reasons why).

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pass on this!, July 13, 2006

By 

William J. Targett "craze" (canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Pope (Paperback)

This was a major disappointment. I am a great fan of any "Vatican" novel and will read some mediocre stuff to get my fix. This, however, did not reach that standard! It is the first novel I have been tempted to give up when only half-way through. As for the suggestion that a bunch of feminist-minded nuns are trying to change the church, this compliments the book too much. There is a dream story that keeps appearing throughout the story but adds nothing. Page after page of some medieval drivel. Comparisons to Morris West - kidding? You might say I didn't like this one.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Overrated and Disappointing, June 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Last Pope (Paperback)

Based on the raving reviews here and from a friend, I purchased and read this book. I kept reading, waiting for the cliches to give way to whatever people raving about and, frankly, I never found it. It's not a bad book, but everything in it has appeared in other papal conclave-types of novels and usually done somewhat better. If you have not read "Shoes of the Fisherman," "The Last Conclave," and others of the genre, read this and enjoy it. If you have read them, you will probably be disappointed.