“Good Pope, Bad Pope: Their Lives, Our Lesson” is another terrific book by the prolific Mike Aquilina.  This is a much needed resource for all Catholics.  Those of us who love and appreciate the gift of the Papacy in the life of the Church, if we are honest with ourselves, cringe a bit inside when the facts of history uncover those Popes who were…well…bad.  Leave it to Mike Aquilina to guide us through those notorious lives and times, while helping  us to see the lesson we can learn from those particular experiences.  Mike also lifts up those outstanding men who were more than just “good” Popes (which the overwhelming majority were), but reminds of  popes like Bl. John Paul II,  who could be called “great”.  Be not afraid of history, especially when its in the hands of Mike Aquilina.

[powerpress]

You can find the book here

 

From the description:

Every pope is by definition a remarkable man. But the popes whose stories you’ll read here were chosen because they reveal how the papacy developed. They show us how Christ kept his promise to his bride, the Church, not only in her health but also in her sickness. The great popes advanced our understanding of Christian doctrine. But even more remarkable, the worst popes could do nothing to damage the teaching of the Church.

That’s why, even in its darkest moments, the story of the papacy is a story of triumph. And that’s why it’s worth knowing these twelve popes.