Paul VI: The First Modern Pope [Hardcover]

Peter Hebblethwaite (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1993

Using hitherto unknown materials, a veteran Vatican watcher takes an intimate look at Giovanni Battista Montini, Pope Paul VI (1897-1978). Deftly weaving Paul's life story with Church developments and the cataclysmic historical events taking place around him, this thoughtful, engaging biography takes readers into the mind and heart of this complex figure. Photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this scrupulous, densely detailed biography, veteran Vatican reporter Hebblethwaite ( John XXIII ) convincingly portrays Paul VI, pontiff from 1963 to 1978, as thoughtfully and judiciously engaged with the political, social and religious issues of the day. Though Hebblethwaite explores the background of Giovanni Battista Montini, born in 1897 in Brescia, Italy, the book is mainly an institutional history of the church and Montini's role in it, based on accounts from sources from several countries. As chaplain of a student movement, Montini opposed Fascism; he was a close adviser to Pope Pius XII during WW II and after; as Archbishop of Milan, he rebuilt the diocese and supported the ecclesiological changes of Pope John XXIII's Vatican II. As pope, Paul VI traveled the world, becoming the first pope to visit the U.S. and Africa; he committed the Church to working with the United Nations and was the first pope to take part in an ecumenical service. Paul VI, the author argues, had a more nuanced view of ethics than was suggested by the "Pope Bans Pill" headlines that summarized his 1968 encyclical letter on birth control, Humanae Vitae. Observing that many people, including Pope John Paul II, now criticize Paul VI, the author ably--though at too great length--defends his pontificate. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

A veteran Vatican reporter draws the reader through the sweeping events of the 20th century in this major biography of Giovanni Battista Montini, who followed John XXIII as Pope Paul VI (1963-78). The author truly admires his subject, "a good and holy man," while providing a balanced combination of history and skilled contemporary reportage. The Vatican on the international scene is as much the subject as is Montini, who, trained in canon law and diplomacy, quietly initiated and implemented much of the modernization that occurred with the Council of Vatican II. Quoting published and unpublished views of Paul VI, the author presents a picture of a church reformer who placed people over protocols, who was deeply contemplative despite life in the busy Curia, and who pleaded for peace before the UN. Historical objectivity is important to the author, who nevertheless inserts occasional pointed personal asides. Political and cultural giants of our century meet here in more than 700 pages, yet there is no waste of words. The book is informative, intellectually challenging, and highly recommended.
- Anna Donnelly, St. John's Univ. Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 749 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (May 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080910461X
• ISBN-13: 978-0809104611
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,256,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Book But It Has Its Problems..., December 8, 2002

By 

Shawn Tzu (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul VI: The First Modern Pope (Hardcover)

...theologically anyway. But before dealing with that it would be beneficial to review its strengths.

For one thing, it is a comprehensive work. There is evidence throughout that the author sought to write as complete a biography as possible and clocking in at around 750 pages, the detail is not lacking. The portrait of Giovanni Battista Montini the man is well sketched and his gifts made readily apparent to the reader. The author believes that Pope Paul was "the most naturally talented man to become pope in this century" and if he is referring to all around then I can certainly concur with him. The problem though is that the papacy requires more then that to properly function. Paul from the biographies I have read of him - and Hebblethwaithe follows suit with them - sketches a portrait of a man who on paper is almost overqualified to be pope (if that was at all possible) excelling in his knowledge of Canon Law, the history of the Ecumenical Councils, and Church history in general. (Not to mention being schooled in the field of journalism.) An intellectual who could relate to average people, who was kind, compassionate, charitable, and longsuffering. (And from a pastoral standpoint a great priest.) Physically frail in health from his earliest years Paul VI was still able to accomplish much more then it would seem task-wise. An excellent listener who enjoyed philosophical discourse and dialogue with the belief that the truth would ultimately win out. A dialoguist who could weigh the pros and cons of opposing sides and do so equitably. Adding to these the element of patience and sensitivity of all viewpoints and Paul had the makings of a great diplomat.

Hebblethwaithe documents well Paul's service to - and admiration of - Pius XII and treats the latter pope reasonably well: though he seems to think Pius XI was a diplomatic blunderer. (There is a clear preference shown to John XXIII over both of them.) He details well Pope Paul's meetings with Patriarch Athengoras and other leaders both religious and secular. I am trying to think of what else can be said in under 1,000 words about a 750 page book. (In these situations space constraints are not of assistance.)

It has been said in the Conclave that after the election the consensus of him was that he was "John with Pacelli's [Pius XII] brains". But even taking into account all of the relevant factors, it is difficult to see how anyone could say that his reign could be anything better then "average" historically. Hebblethwaithe's sketch reveals the human side of Paul through his successes and also his failings. (Not to mention the tremendous sufferings physically and spiritually that he underwent in the exercise of his ministry.)

It helps now to know that the author is an "ex-Jesuit" because it fills in several question marks that cropped up when I read the book. His treatment of the subject of the minority at the Second Vatican Council is not as balanced as it could be. (The author almost makes it seem that any concessions made by Paul VI to the minority party was the result of conspiracy and certain prelates "getting to Paul" rather then Paul acting as he did out of a sense of personal principle.) The treatment of the Council could have been more thorough as well since that was the defining event and constant reference point for the rest of Pope Paul's pontificate.

There were a few points of theology where the author showed his grasp of the issues as specious. He makes two theological blunders by presuming that the Mystical Body and the Catholic Church affiliation would have to "be overcome by Vatican II" - an absurd notion and one not sanctioned by the documents of Vatican II. (The second was the assertion that the treatment of the Mystical Body in the encyclical somehow did not account for the presence of sin: another superficial commentary on the encyclical's content.) He also shows almost a disdain for the encyclical letter Mysterium Fidei: seemingly any attempt of the Pope to not endorse the "newer and therefore better" whatever it happened to be (and regardless of its relative merits) permeates this work in various spots.

Two more encyclicals that do not meet with the authors approval are Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (on priestly celibacy) and Humanae Vitae. On the latter the author pulls out the kind of kook conspiracy theories that are common to fringe extremists to try and "justify" themselves. (Particularly when it comes to Cardinal Ottaviani in this instance.) It is pretty clear that he did not like Paul's teaching in the latter two encyclicals or the judgment Paul had the CDF issue on women priests. The author for the most part is pretty fair but on the examples above there is a clear bias. The sketch he makes of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre was also not flattering but frankly Lefebvre brought a lot of his problems on himself. (In that context Hebblethwaithe details Pope Paul's patience with Lefebvre very well.) Throughout the ups and downs of the book (which technically is written well and reads well) we receive a detailed sketch of Paul the pope and Montini the man.

In short, this is a good book but it is not without its problems. Two biographies not used by Hebblethwaithe are in this writers opinion superior works page for page. One is Roy MacGregor-Hastie's 1964 biography on Paul VI (approx. 210 pages). Another is Alden Hatch's biography "Pope Paul VI" which is about 400 pages. Either work is better then this one but this one is still worth a read too if you have the time and if deficiencies such as the ones noted above are taken into account.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good biography of the greatest pope, December 16, 2002

By 

Fernando - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul VI: The First Modern Pope (Hardcover)

Because I believe Paul VI was by far the greatest Poper ever and thanks to his tireless efforts there is a Church today that sounds realistic to the world, I welcome this book that I bought back in 1993. The missing star is because, in my view, the author does not follow enough in Paul's sanctity. I recommend that any interested party goes over his prayers, and they will find that his deep intellectual skills were based and sustained upon an impressive spiritual life.

4.0 out of 5 stars Slanted, but comprehensive biography, June 22, 2011

By 

J. Michael (Now Born) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul VI: The First Modern Pope (Hardcover)

This is a magisterial biography by a man who was widely regarded in his time as the foremost Vaticanologist in the English-speaking world. An ex-priest, a teacher and a journalist, Hebblethwaite was the consummate Vatican insider, who had also participated in the Second Vatican Council. A talented writer and researcher, as well as a man who- by virtue of his wide range of acquaintances and experiences- was a noted anecdotalist, Hebblethwaite wrote a truly great biography that is both informative and vivacious. As the Pope whose life and career are at the center of the radical upheaval in the modern Catholic Church, Paul VI has gotten a biography deserving of him.

Without slandering this book as an hagiography, it wouldn't be unjust to say that the liberal Hebblethwaite was a very fervent admirer of Paul VI. When Paul VI's actions and policies tended towards the left, the modern, the revolutionary (which was most of the time) Hebblethwaite's approval is almost slavish. When Paul VI favored a traditional or conservative personage or policy, such as with Humanae Vitae, then Hebblethwaite is disapproving and critical, and invariably posits that some conservative cleric "got to" his beloved Pope behind the scenes. While this is a scholarly and honest work, it is definitely not objective. There are well delineated liberal heroes and conservative villains in this book. Leo XIII, John XXIII, Paul VI, Cardinal Suenens: good. Pius X, Pius XII, Archbishop Levebvre, Cardinal Siri: bad. People are literally described as "notorious" based on their conservatism, or support for a conservative group, such as Opus Dei (whose founder, by the way, is a canonized saint.) He even casts aspersions on the truth of Sister Faustina's visions (who, by the way, is also a canonized saint and whose visions form the basis for an official feast day of the Church.) So, on the basis of this book, we can deduce that Hebblethwaite was a committed leftist ideologue. He valued the intellect and scorned spirituality, especially that of traditionally expressed piety. He favored radical change and hated tradition. So now that we know the author's slant, what is it exactly that we learn about his subject?

From his early manhood, Giovanni Montini (the future Paul VI) was a partisan of Revolt and Revolution in the Church. What we traditionalists fail to grasp is that the changes of the 1960s- in religion, politics and culture- didn't just happen overnight. The upheaval was long in coming, like an unknown malady that suddenly strangles a vital organ, and was brought about by men who had been born 50, 60 and 70 years before. Before Vatican II, this underground revolt against the Faith manifested itself here and there in theological battles mainly fought out of sight of the laity. As an example of this, Hebblethwaite talks about a fascinating controversy in Germany during World War II. In 1943, Archbishop Conrad Grober of Freiburg-im-Bresgau saw the growing danger and denounced the "lack of interest in natural theology, contempt for scholasticism, growing influence of Protestant theology, the ecumenical movement, the liturgical movement and the exaggerations of those who talked of the Church as Christ's Mystical Body." Such theologians as the archbishop had in mind, namely Dom Odo Casel and Romano Guardini, were favorites of the future Paul VI.

The young Montini (born in 1897) had a natural inclination to whatever was modern and new, an odd sentiment for a man whose putative religion was supposed to be based on immutable supernatural revelation, "once for all delivered to the saints". He himself wrote that "...perhaps our life is characterized more clearly than anything else by the love of our own time, and our own world." One would think that a Christian, let alone a priest, would want his life to be characterized by love of Christ above anything else, rather than for a modern world which possesses no moral absolutes and no eternal values. But Montini loved this world and the intellectual ferment of early 20th century Europe. Although he came from a strong Catholic family, his reason for becoming a priest is unclear. From what the author reveals, I detected no great piety or calling. Family connections soon got him into the Vatican school for diplomats and his high flying career was underway. Montini was very early on seduced by the incarnation of modernism known as the New Theology. The author admits that the French Dominicans and Jesuits who were the main proponents of this theology, and whose ideas were later condemned by Pope Pius XII as heresy in the encyclical Humani Generis, were Montini's "masters". Indeed, the men who promoted these errors, which were explicity and solemnly condemned by a Pope, were later elevated to positions of supreme influence during the Second Vatican Council. And still we are supposed to be believe that the Council changed nothing of importance in the Faith?

Montini was known to have read the forbidden books of these authors and was always familiar with the latest thoughts. His Protestant attitude toward the traditional manifestations of his faith can be seen in his offensive advice to the national Catholic student group in 1933, of which he was the chaplain. He advised the students, who were going home on their Easter break, to avoid churches with "too many plaster saints, pious old ladies, candles, flowers, shrines..." Even then he must have been looking forward to the stripped altars and geometric dungeons they call churches these days. As he rose in the Curia, his radicalism became evident. As early as 1950 he was known to harbor a desire to "reform" the Church. He was active in ecumenism, especially with Anglicans. He told the founder of Taize that "We must go towards you." Always, he advocated unilateral compromise and concessions by the Church, never by her Protestant, Jewish or atheist interlocutors. One Cardinal referred to the modernist Montini as a "danger" to the Church.

Nevertheless, the left wing in the Church had great plans for him and he was being spoken of as papabile even before he was made a Cardinal. Pius XII made Montini the archbishop of Milan in 1954. Hebblethwaite interprets this appointment as a sacking and an exile. This may very well be true. Although Montini was a great help to the Pope, Pius XII had to have known what he was all about and, in befuddling Vatican fashion, exiled him by promotion. As Archbishop, Montini distinguished himself by neglecting traditional Marian piety, disobediently wrote a preface to a book supporting the banned worker priests, and received media accolades for pandering to the proletariat. When John XXIII's first act as Pope was to make Montini a Cardinal, the succession was almost assured.

The subject of the changes of Vatican II and the post-conciliar church are outside the scope of my review, but suffice it to say that Paul VI fulfilled and built upon the radical vision of John XXIII. He nurtured the destructive Bugnini in completely Protestantizing the liturgy, he pandered to every non-Catholic religion or non-religion on earth, and tolerated and encouraged the promoters of innovation, dissent and heresy. And then, unbelievably, he expressed surprise about the fact that a "non-Catholic mentality was increasingly dominant in the Church" and wondered how the "Smoke of Satan" had wafted into the Sanctuary. Such comments lead one to believe that Paul was merely an ignorant dupe, rather than an active destroyer. Perhaps he really believed that all the changes would reinvigorate the Faith. The impression one gets from Hebblethwaite's account is that Paul was a weak-willed and naive man who feared confrontation and had an overwhelming desire to please and to be loved. The zeitgeist was clearly in favor of Revolution, and Paul accordingly played to that audience his entire life, receiving accolades from the forces that shaped public opinion. On only one issue did he buck the system, when he issued the encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968.

In his affirmation of traditional Christian teaching on artificial contraception, Paul was viciously criticized by almost the whole world, religious and secular. At first glance, it does look like a very brave move, but I really don't think he had a choice. The key word is "affirmation". Since its earliest centuries, the Church has taught the immorality of artificial birth control. The teaching was solemnly re-affirmed several times by Popes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, most importantly in Pope Pius XI's 1930 encyclical Casti Connubi, which was a response to the Anglican church's limited approval of birth control in that year. Until that year, even the Protestant world was in total agreement with Rome on the evil of contraception. So, in my opinion, the Pope really had no choice but to restate the traditional teaching. While Protestants, whose faith is based on the ever-shifting sands of personal Biblical interpretation, are always free to change their doctrines based on "evolving understanding" and "scientific revelations", the Catholic Church has no such luxury. If the Church has been promulgating a certain doctrine for 1900 years, then repealing that doctrine would totally undermine the Church's claim to infallible teaching authority. So, even if Paul wanted to allow birth control, he simply was unable to do so without destroying the very foundation of the Catholic Faith.

And yet I think Paul did, in his heart, want to revise Church teaching and be praised yet again for his "liberating" pontificate. He expanded and elevated John XXIII's Pontifical Commission on Birth Control, he stonewalled for 2 years after receiving the Commission's report, he delayed publication of the encyclical and supposedly revised it when liberals privately compained to him. But there was no other option. So, his actions showed that... Read more ›