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Saint Pope Paul VI: Celebrating the 262nd Pope of the Roman Catholic Church
Pope Paul VI was one of the most perceptive and visionary popes in the modern era, foreseeing not just the rise of secularism, but the negative effect it would have on the family and the human soul. Yet despite the tremendous spiritual and theological value of Pope Paul VI s writings, much has been forgotten, lost in the decades of controversy and dissent until now. In these pages, Matthew Bunson resurrects the time-tested teachings of Pope Paul VI, showing how his prophetic reflections on modernity are needed in our own age more than ever. Guided by the deep spirituality and approachable theology of Paul VI, you ll come to understand the root causes of secularism, the risks of globalization, the damage caused by the isolation of young people in the modern world, and why human dignity must be safeguarded in the face of scientific advances. Widely recognized as the first modern pope, Pope Paul VI led the Catholic Church in the wake of the controversies surrounding how to implement and interpret the Second Vatican Council. On one side he battled a reluctant Vatican bureaucracy resistant to authentic reform, while on the other side he guided the faithful in a time of rampant confusion. Bunson also details the graceful and holy way in which Pope Paul VI handled the many dissenting voices raised against the Church s teachings on contraception, and how he fought for the dignity of the human person as he faced criticism from both the left and the right. Read this book, and you ll enter into the mind of one of the Church s newest saints, better prepared not just to defend the teachings of the Church, but to do so in an approachable and holy way.
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 17, 2018
About the author
Matthew Bunson
62 books15 followersMatthew Bunson (born 1966) is an American author of more than fifty books, a historian, professor, editor, Roman Catholic theologian, Senior Contributor for EWTN, the Catholic multimedia network, Senior Fellow at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, and Faculty Chair at Catholic Distance University.
He is the author of the books Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire, The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, The Vampire Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of American Catholic History, and Pope Francis, the first English-language biography of Pope Francis in 2013.
Bunson has a B.A. in history, an M.A. in Theology, a Master of Divinity, a Doctorate in Ministry and a Ph.D. in Church History from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He is on the faculty of the Catholic Distance University where he teaches Church History, including Roman Catholic-Islamic relations and Medieval and American Catholic History, and Catholic Social Teaching. He is a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
He is the author of the books Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire, The Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, The Vampire Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia of American Catholic History, and Pope Francis, the first English-language biography of Pope Francis in 2013.
Bunson has a B.A. in history, an M.A. in Theology, a Master of Divinity, a Doctorate in Ministry and a Ph.D. in Church History from the Graduate Theological Foundation. He is on the faculty of the Catholic Distance University where he teaches Church History, including Roman Catholic-Islamic relations and Medieval and American Catholic History, and Catholic Social Teaching. He is a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 3, 2018
Over the last few years I have read several books both by and about Pope Paul VI. With his canonization in 2018, and the 50th anniversary of the publication of Humanae Vitae there has been a lot of interest in in the man and his works. And this book is an excellent addition to that area of scholarship, and devotion. That book once started is hard to put down. And it reads as part biography, part academic treatise, and part exhortation from the wisdom of Paul VI’s writings.
This is the second book written by Matthew Bunson that I have read, and both are excellent reads. Bunson writes in such an open and honest way. Bunson presents Paul VI, as a man, a man with faults, but a man with a deep devotion and passion for God. The first words of Paul VI that we encounter are before the book begins:
“I must bear witness to his name: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16). He reveals the invisible God, he is the firstborn of all creation, the foundation of everything created. He is the Teacher of mankind, and its Redeemer. He was born, he died, and he rose again for us. He is the center of history and of the world; he is the one who knows us and who loves us; he is the companion and the friend of our life. He is the man of sorrows and of hope. It is he who will come and who one day will be our judge and — we hope — the everlasting fullness of our existence, our happiness.”
Taken from a Homily for Mass at Quezon Circle, the Philippines November 29, 1970. Paul VI had an unenviable task. When he was elected pope, the church was in the middle of Vatican Council II. There was speculation oat the time that he would cancel it, or even radically change its direction. Instead he saw it through in the spirit of Saint Pope John XXIII and spend the rest of his pontificate defending both the counsel and his own writings. He was the first pope that was known as a world traveller. He dispensed with many of the trappings of the Papacy. Sold off papal gear to finance ministry and trips. He was the first pope to set foot in Jerusalem. And made 9 trips during his pontificate including the United States, Middle East, Africa, India, and Philippines.
Many consider his works prophetic. And reading them with an open mind I do not see how you could disagree. You might not like his conclusions, and how society as a whole has changed. But he saw much of the result the changes that had started.
The chapters in this volume are:
Introduction
1. The Life and Holiness of Pope St. Paul VI
2. Jesus Christ
3. The Church
4. Mary
5. The Second Vatican Council
6. Credo of the People of God
7. The Mass and the Sacraments
8. Joy
9. Marriage, Life, and Family
10. The Human Person
11. The Modern World
12. Peace
13. Prayer, Holiness, and the Life of Faith
14. The Testament of Pope Paul VI
Selected Writings of Pope St. Paul VI
The book draws heavily from the writings of Paul VI and is in fact written around his own words. It is an excellent addition to the canon of work about Paul VI, and one of the first published after his canonization. It does not matter if you are interested in Paul VI, ad a man, as a priest, or as a pope, this book will give you a great deal of detail around the man and his thought.
It is a wonderful volume, and a book I will likely return to again as I continue my studies on Paul VI and his works. If you have already read about Paul this will be a great read. If you have not read much about him, it is an excellent introduction. A great read no matter your level of interest and I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Matthew Bunson.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
This is the second book written by Matthew Bunson that I have read, and both are excellent reads. Bunson writes in such an open and honest way. Bunson presents Paul VI, as a man, a man with faults, but a man with a deep devotion and passion for God. The first words of Paul VI that we encounter are before the book begins:
“I must bear witness to his name: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God (Matt. 16:16). He reveals the invisible God, he is the firstborn of all creation, the foundation of everything created. He is the Teacher of mankind, and its Redeemer. He was born, he died, and he rose again for us. He is the center of history and of the world; he is the one who knows us and who loves us; he is the companion and the friend of our life. He is the man of sorrows and of hope. It is he who will come and who one day will be our judge and — we hope — the everlasting fullness of our existence, our happiness.”
Taken from a Homily for Mass at Quezon Circle, the Philippines November 29, 1970. Paul VI had an unenviable task. When he was elected pope, the church was in the middle of Vatican Council II. There was speculation oat the time that he would cancel it, or even radically change its direction. Instead he saw it through in the spirit of Saint Pope John XXIII and spend the rest of his pontificate defending both the counsel and his own writings. He was the first pope that was known as a world traveller. He dispensed with many of the trappings of the Papacy. Sold off papal gear to finance ministry and trips. He was the first pope to set foot in Jerusalem. And made 9 trips during his pontificate including the United States, Middle East, Africa, India, and Philippines.
Many consider his works prophetic. And reading them with an open mind I do not see how you could disagree. You might not like his conclusions, and how society as a whole has changed. But he saw much of the result the changes that had started.
The chapters in this volume are:
Introduction
1. The Life and Holiness of Pope St. Paul VI
2. Jesus Christ
3. The Church
4. Mary
5. The Second Vatican Council
6. Credo of the People of God
7. The Mass and the Sacraments
8. Joy
9. Marriage, Life, and Family
10. The Human Person
11. The Modern World
12. Peace
13. Prayer, Holiness, and the Life of Faith
14. The Testament of Pope Paul VI
Selected Writings of Pope St. Paul VI
The book draws heavily from the writings of Paul VI and is in fact written around his own words. It is an excellent addition to the canon of work about Paul VI, and one of the first published after his canonization. It does not matter if you are interested in Paul VI, ad a man, as a priest, or as a pope, this book will give you a great deal of detail around the man and his thought.
It is a wonderful volume, and a book I will likely return to again as I continue my studies on Paul VI and his works. If you have already read about Paul this will be a great read. If you have not read much about him, it is an excellent introduction. A great read no matter your level of interest and I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Matthew Bunson.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!
August 14, 2019
Packed with quotes on a variety of topics.
Without being an intrusive editor, Matthew Bunson has collated substantial quotes from St. Paul VI on a variety of topics in 288 pages. While one can use the saint’s works on pages 289-92 as a reading list, if you don’t have time to read all of them as though you were writing a dissertation, this book will suffice.
The pope’s words sound like prophecies fulfilled. Contraception? Yes, the pope was right; people do not respect each other when they frustrate the two intentions of sex in marriage. Abortion? Yes, the pope was right again; disrespecting the life of the unborn has led to greater acceptance of infanticide and euthanasia. Overweening pride in technology? Yes, the pope was right yet again; it’s almost as though Pope Paul anticipated the Internet and our obsession with social media (what a laugh!) when he wrote that we are “not just a screen for the thousand impressions” to which our lives are subject (236).
Two takeaways from the reading. First, no matter how dire the situation of the Church seemed in the late sixties and seventies (priest defections, unorthodox theologians arguing that artificial birth control was morally acceptable, legalized abortion, declining attendance at Mass, etc.), from the perspective of fifty years later, surprise! The Catholic Church is still going strong, and the topics that St. Paul VI wrote and spoke about in his pontificate are relevant today.
Second takeaway: in contrast with academic monographs written by secular or atheist scholars, it will be encouraging for young people to know that—even in Paul VI’s world of dissension in the Church, wars, social unrest, and other ills—the Church through this pope enunciated several positive things: we are children of God, we are not alone in our search for community, we can change the world, we uphold life, we make peace by upholding life, and love is the Christian’s modus operandi. What anti-life feminist academic who supports the killing of the unborn child can say anything like that?
Unfortunately, there is no index. The reader should read carefully and annotate well.
Without being an intrusive editor, Matthew Bunson has collated substantial quotes from St. Paul VI on a variety of topics in 288 pages. While one can use the saint’s works on pages 289-92 as a reading list, if you don’t have time to read all of them as though you were writing a dissertation, this book will suffice.
The pope’s words sound like prophecies fulfilled. Contraception? Yes, the pope was right; people do not respect each other when they frustrate the two intentions of sex in marriage. Abortion? Yes, the pope was right again; disrespecting the life of the unborn has led to greater acceptance of infanticide and euthanasia. Overweening pride in technology? Yes, the pope was right yet again; it’s almost as though Pope Paul anticipated the Internet and our obsession with social media (what a laugh!) when he wrote that we are “not just a screen for the thousand impressions” to which our lives are subject (236).
Two takeaways from the reading. First, no matter how dire the situation of the Church seemed in the late sixties and seventies (priest defections, unorthodox theologians arguing that artificial birth control was morally acceptable, legalized abortion, declining attendance at Mass, etc.), from the perspective of fifty years later, surprise! The Catholic Church is still going strong, and the topics that St. Paul VI wrote and spoke about in his pontificate are relevant today.
Second takeaway: in contrast with academic monographs written by secular or atheist scholars, it will be encouraging for young people to know that—even in Paul VI’s world of dissension in the Church, wars, social unrest, and other ills—the Church through this pope enunciated several positive things: we are children of God, we are not alone in our search for community, we can change the world, we uphold life, we make peace by upholding life, and love is the Christian’s modus operandi. What anti-life feminist academic who supports the killing of the unborn child can say anything like that?
Unfortunately, there is no index. The reader should read carefully and annotate well.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews