Customer Reviews

We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI

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Bunson's book went to press in early May during the first weeks of Benedict's new pontificate and serves the general reader as a "Benedict Primer". There is information on the last days of Pope John Paul II, the unforgettable funeral Mass, the conclave, and the many accomplishments of the priest/theologian/cardinal who became Benedict XVI. Bunson also includes an eighty-year timeline that shows the intersection of various cultural milestones with events in Benedict's life.

Included are lengthy excerpts from key speeches and homilies and coverage of the high points of then-Cardinal Ratzinger's tenure as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the arm of the Church responsible for protecting truths that come to us ultimately from Christ and the Apostles.

Kudos to Mr. Bunson; having such a well-written book on our new Pope available so soon is a major feat. It likely will serve as a reference for future writers wanting a description of the historic events that surrounded Easter 2005.

Great primer on who the new pope really is...plus an excellent overview of what has transpired in the last month at the Vatican.The book begins with an overview of what led up to the election of Benedict, his first addresses and an overview of his life. I found the issues facing the papacy both in the section entitled "The Vacant See" and at the end of the book where the author Matt Bunson details how the Pope is likely to handle these issues fascinating.

The book also includes a list of popes dating back to St. Peter, as well as a very helpful glossary.

Dr. Bunson does a magnificent job of covering the transition from Pope John Paul to Pope Benedict. He gives a thorough treatment of the issues the cardinals had to wrestle with going in to the conclave and gives insight into the process. In the last part of the book he provides a brief but thorough biography of the pope and great insight into how the pope's background and convictions may shape his papacy.

Some nice features include: the full text of his first two homilies as pope; two appendixes that cover the entire bibliography of works in English by the pope as well as a list of all popes; a glossary of terms; great color photos of the pope.

I am amazed that such a thorough treatment of the transition and issues came out in such a short period of time. Even though I followed the events closely, this volume is fresh and provided new insights. This book was not thrown together -- it is clearly the work of someone who reflected deeply on the transition and has a thorough knowledge of the Vatican and the man who is pope. I have read several of Benedict's own works, but wish I would have read this first. It really helps to put the other writings in context. Thank you Dr. Bunson!

For those of us glued to our television sets during this Spring's events during the passing of Pope John Paul II and the election of our new Holy Father, Benedict XVI, this book brings back many touching memories of a special time in our Church's history.

Matthew Bunson, Catholic author and historian, has given us a timely (but not rushed) account of this transitional time. Highlights of the book include a chronology of Benedict XVI's place in the Church history timeline, a first-person retelling of the funeral, conclave and election process and events, lovely and high quality color photos, and a look ahead at the Church our new Pope will lead into the future. Also included are a comprehensive list of the Pope's prior publications, a complete list of popes, and a helpful glossary.

Bunson's book is well written, highly detailed but also very readable. A book to enjoy today and to share with our children in the future when we recount our memories of this special time.

Bunson has written an orthodox and thus reliable guide to the great events of April 2005. He also provides analysis of the challenges facing the Church and the likely course of the new papacy, with appropriate humility. In contrast to the wildly inaccuarate prognostications of the secular media and liberal Catholics, Bunson is able to put his finger on what was really going on in the conclave: a move to challenge the relativism that threatens the truth. The best part of the book is Bunson's detailed biographical information on our new Pope. The book even includes a list of books by former Cardinal Ratzinger that are available in English. Read Bunson's book first and then begin the intellectual and faith adventure of reading the treasures that have come from the pen of our new Pope.

It's only been a short while since Cardinal Ratizinger became pope and when I bought it I expected it to be a quickie slapdash collection of articles. It's much better than that. Matthew Bunson touches on the days before JPII died and the outpouring of grief and love that occurred after his death. He gives a straightforward peek into the conclave proccess and finally introduces the reader to Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict 16.

You will find a quick run down of Joseph Ratzinger's life and get an idea of just how much John Paul the II respected and relied on Benedict 16. If you didn't know who Cardinal Ratzinger was before or if you got your image of him from the knee jerk reactions of the media We Have a Pope is a very good place for the average soul in the back pews to start getting an idea of who the new Holy Father is.

This book is great, but once again, the author and publisher have erroneous info that was published. In this book, St Maximilian Kolbe is listed as a martyr in Dachau...ahhhh! He was martyred in Aushwitz, which is listed in just about every bit of published info about him. In another book, he has St Gianna Beretta Molla as being born in South America. The dear doctor and mother never left Europe. She was born and raised in Italy! This is another common and well-know fact about this saint. Please check those facts before they get to print!!

I enjoyed reading this book! Dr. Matthew Bunson does an excellent job of describing the events surrounding the transition from Pope John Paul II to Pope Benedict XVI. He covers the events surrounding, and immediately following, the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005. Then he covers the funeral of John Paul II, which seems to have had the largest funeral attendance in human history. Then he covers the period leading up to and including the conclave. He discusses the issues that the conclave was dealing with, leading up to the white smoke and bells announcing the election of Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005. He also covers the events immediately following the election of Benedict XVI, up to the Installation Mass on the following Sunday. In the final section he includes a chapter discussing the life of (now) Benedict XVI, his life before he became cardinal, including his studying for the priesthood, and his role in the Second Vatican Council. Another chapter discusses his life as Cardinal Ratzinger, and the final chapter discusses the tasks which lay ahead of the new pope. So this book is a great introduction the new pope, and a great account of his election and the events preceding it. In addition, it includes pictures of the new pope, and also includes his homilies at the Funeral Mass, as well as at the Installation Mass. At the beginning the book also includes a chronology of his life (and world events surrounding it). At the end it includes a list of books written by the new pope, as well as a listing of all the popes of the Catholic Church, as well as a glossary. In short this book is an excellent resource for those wanting to learn about Pope Benedict XVI, and helpful for those wanting general information on popes or papal elections.