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Can anyone recommend a book or books about the popes? I am not looking for biographical information, rather, I want to learn about each papacy so I can map out how things changed over the centuries, for better or worse.

What you want is a good history of the Church. I wish I had one to recommend. The common ones all have strong axe-grinding going on.

Bartholomew wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 8:27 am Can anyone recommend a book or books about the popes? I am not looking for biographical information, rather, I want to learn about each papacy so I can map out how things changed over the centuries, for better or worse.

There was one published in the late 50's, so obviously it's missing the last 5, plus the current one. Haven't seen it in years. It's probably only available as a used copy.

Warren Carroll's History of Christendom series is good but a massive undertaking. There is also a set of world history textbooks written for high school students Light to the Nation's Vol 1 and 2 by the Catholic Textbook Project that I think is a good overview. That is if you go the general history route.

anawim wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 12:12 pm

Bartholomew wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 8:27 am Can anyone recommend a book or books about the popes? I am not looking for biographical information, rather, I want to learn about each papacy so I can map out how things changed over the centuries, for better or worse.

There was one published in the late 50s, so it's missing the last 5, plus the current one. Haven't seen it in years. It's probably only available as a used copy.

I think you are probably thinking of "Pageant of the Popes" by John Farrow; he was not a historian but was a film director and screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 1957 version of "Around the World in 80 Days."

He converted to Catholicism after he married actress Maureen O'Sullivan in 1934 (although he did say it wasn't a conversion as he had been baptized Catholic but was never raised in the faith).

He wrote the book "Pageant of the Popes" in 1955, the last Pope in the volume is Pius XII. It's not really a great book because he was not really qualified to write it.

I can recommend several books, but if what you want is a hagiographical book that says every Pope was great, well, I don't read those kinds of books.


Some other books I can recommend include (general histories"

"Saints and Sinners" by Eamon Duffy, excessively skeptical of the early Church, but generally excellent on the Popes since the French Revolution. Published in 4 different editions so far in 1997,2002,2006, and 2015. The first edition had a BBC mini-series of the same name (that can be seen on Amazon Prime) but beyond the title has liite connection to the book

"A History of the Popes from Peter to the Present" by Fr. John O'Malley.

The late Fr. O'Malley was a Jesuit specializing in Church history; he was one of the leading Church historians of his time, and his most important contribution to the field was his extensive works rejecting the common term "Counter Reformation" to describe the Council of Trent and its aftermath because the term is biased in favor of Protestantism, and suggests that the Church was just cynically trying to copy the Protestants. He coined the term "Early Modern Catholicism" to describe the era. He also wrote popular histories of the Church Councils. He died in 2022, but the book on the Popes is a transcript of talks he gave in 2009.

"The Oxford Dictionary of Popes" by JND Kelly was published in 1986, but an updated edition was published by Michael Walsh in 2010 after Kelly died. I am not aware of a more recent edition.

"Chronicles of the Popes" by PG Maxwell Sturart, published in 1997. I am not aware of a more recent edition.

I almost forgot, the late Frank J Coppa was an excellent Papal historian. He focused on the era since 1789, and wrote excellent biographies of Pius IX and Pius XII.

These books are not uncritical, but I do believe they are fair; his works are not a hatchet job nor a hagiography.


"Pio Nono" by EEY Hales is a biography of Pius IX, first published in 1954 It was republished in 2023. It has an imprimatur.


I am aware of many other books, but will refrain from recommending any others.

Thank you to everyone who has replied for your generosity with your time and knowledge.

It looks like I have some research to do, and I am happy about that.

Doom wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 3:11 pm

anawim wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 12:12 pm

Bartholomew wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 8:27 am Can anyone recommend a book or books about the popes? I am not looking for biographical information, rather, I want to learn about each papacy so I can map out how things changed over the centuries, for better or worse.

There was one published in the late 50s, so it's missing the last 5, plus the current one. Haven't seen it in years. It's probably only available as a used copy.

I think you are probably thinking of "Pageant of the Popes" by John Farrow; he was not a historian but was a film director and screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 1957 version of "Around the World in 80 Days."

He converted to Catholicism after he married actress Maureen O'Sullivan in 1934 (although he did say it wasn't a conversion as he had been baptized Catholic but was never raised in the faith).

He wrote the book "Pageant of the Popes" in 1955, the last Pope in the volume is Pius XII. It's not really a great book because he was not really qualified to write it.

It was a Jesuit...which may mean it's not recommendable.

A book written in the 1950's is a vague description, if you were not thinking of the famous one, I have no idea what it could be.

I'm fond of this one

https://www.tumblarhouse.com/products/v ... s-coulombe

That book is not very accurate though, it perpetuates the myth of the "Papal Oath", which was supposedly said by every Pope for more than 1,000 years until John Paul I refused to say it (or in some versions of the legend, Paul VI or John XXIII were the first to omit it), yet the "oath" is a hoax, it never existed. Don't take my word for it; the coronation of every Pope since Benedict XV was recorded, and you can easily find the full video on YouTube. Yet you won't see any "Papal Oath" taken by Benedict XV, Pius XI, or PIus XII

Obi-Wan Kenobi wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 12:02 pm What you want is a good history of the Church. I wish I had one to recommend. The common ones all have strong axe-grinding going on.

Bur sometimes being aware of the views of the critics can be useful, I tend to seek out books that I know I am going to disagree with.

Maybe not the best choice for a foundational source, though.

Eamon Duffy's "Ten Popes Who Shook the World".

I read it shortly after reverting back to the faith and was a bit bothered by it. I don't want to say he was critical of the Church's claim of an unbroken line since St. Peter... but there were comments here and there which shook my fledging faith.

So, I sent Eamon Duffy an email with my concerns which he responded to in a lengthy letter. Pretty much saying that nothing in his book should undermine my trust in the Church's claim. Cool he took the time to respond to me.

Doom wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 9:21 pm That book is not very accurate though, it perpetuates the myth of the "Papal Oath", which was supposedly said by every Pope for more than 1,000 years until John Paul I refused to say it (or in some versions of the legend, Paul VI or John XXIII were the first to omit it), yet the "oath" is a hoax, it never existed. Don't take my word for it; the coronation of every Pope since Benedict XV was recorded, and you can easily find the full video on YouTube. Yet you won't see any "Papal Oath" taken by Benedict XV, Pius XI, or PIus XII

It makes one reference to it in the Introduction. Relax, it's a fine book.

p.falk wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 12:45 am Eamon Duffy's "Ten Popes Who Shook the World".

I read it shortly after reverting back to the faith and was a bit bothered by it. I don't want to say he was critical of the Church's claim of an unbroken line since St. Peter... but there were comments here and there which shook my fledging faith.

So, I sent Eamon Duffy an email with my concerns which he responded to in a lengthy letter. Pretty much saying that nothing in his book should undermine my trust in the Church's claim. Cool he took the time to respond to me.

Duffy is a liberal but he is also a serious historian.

A Dictionary of Popes from Oxford University Press. I have this in digital format for the Kindle Reader apps on my iPhone, iPad, and Macbook Pro.

Irenaeus wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 4:32 pm A Dictionary of Popes from Oxford University Press. I have this in digital format for the Kindle Reader apps on my iPhone, iPad, and Macbook Pro.

I did recommend that one, it isn't very in-depth, but is at least useful for helping distinguish Popes one from another

zeno wrote: ↑Mon May 12, 2025 11:23 pm Maybe not the best choice for a foundational source, though.

However, neither is a hagiographic source, because when one views the Church through rose-colored glasses, it can be Earth-shattering and faith-shattering to learn of the various scandals that have arisen over the centuries.