Testimony of Hope: Spiritual Exercises of John Paul II [Paperback]

Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (Author), Julia Mary Darrenkamp (Translator), Anne Eileen Heffernan (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2000

Every year, John Paul 11 selects a preacher for a course of Spiritual Exercises for himself and the Vatican's Roman Curia. For the Jubilee 2000, he chose Vietnamese Archbishop Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan. Testimony of Hope is the complete text of those Spiritual Exercises. In this moving work, Archbishop Van Thuan addresses our need for hope at the beginning of the twenty-first century. As a prisoner in various Communist prisons for thirteen years, nine of them in solitary confinement, Archbishop Van Thuan faced what he describes as the agonizing pain of isolation and abandonment. Recounting the details of those long years, he reveals the secret that allowed him to cling to hope in the midst of despair. Archbishop Van Thuan's message to John Paul 11 is also for us: the hope he discovered in imprisonment is also our hope for the Church and the world at this momentous point in history. Faced with any darkness, we have a reason for confidence: Christ, Hope of the World. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van 7huan was made the bishop of Nha Trang in 1967, and in 1975, coadjutor bishop of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Arrested only a few months after his appointment, Archbishop Van 7huan was imprisoned by the Vietnamese government for thirteen years and then released to house arrest. In 1991, Van Thuan was expelled from Vietnam. He went to Rome and began his work in the Roman Curia as Vice President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Since 1998, Archbishop Van 7huan has served as the Council's President. In 2001, Van 7huan was named a Cardinal. He entered eternal life on September 16, 2002

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Pauline Books & Media (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0819874078
• ISBN-13: 978-0819874078
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #366,451 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most inspiring book for the new year, November 21, 2000

By 

Tim Drake "Author and Journalist" (Saint Joseph, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Testimony of Hope: Spiritual Exercises of John Paul II (Paperback)

Every year, Pope John Paul II selects a preacher for a course of Spiritual Exercises for himself and the Vatican's Roman Curia. For the Jubilee 2000, he chose Vietnamese Archbishop Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.

I originally read Archbishop Thuan's exercises by way of Zenit - the News of Rome. As compelling as those accounts were, the book is even better. Archbishop Van Thuan's experiences, as a prisoner in Communist prisons for 13 years, and his insight on faith are true food for a hungry soul.

Testimony of Hope is the complete text of those Exercises. Archbishop Van Thuan's description of isolation and abandonment, and his secret for finding hope in despair makes for moving and uplifting reading.

I guarantee that readers will be moved by the 22 meditations. Archbishop Van Thuan offers light amidst the darkness. The book is a quick, easy, and inspirational read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Testimony of Hope, March 23, 2008

By 

S. Mosko (IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Testimony of Hope: Spiritual Exercises of John Paul II (Paperback)

Testimony of Hope: The Spiritual Exercises of Pope John Paul II
Excellent spiritual reading especially in preparation for Easter. This book will become part of my permanent library, one I'll want to reread. I can understand why Pope John Paul II invited this author to give a spiritual retreat. Van Thuan is truly a priest's priest.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making a retreat togeter with the Pope!, August 17, 2009

By 

Maria T. Moreira "citizen of the world" (Argentina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Testimony of Hope: Spiritual Exercises of John Paul II (Paperback)

This book is the compilation of a retreat preached for the Pope by a Cardinal who had a very impressive expericence in the vietnamese prisons. I felt like I was with them in this retreat although I'm a lay person. It's profound but simple.