Jesus Wept

Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church

By: Philip Shenon

Narrated by: Richard Cohen

From the best-selling author and former New York Times investigative reporter, an unprecedented look at the defining struggles of the modern Catholic Church, told through the lives of the last seven popes—carrying us from the wake of World War II up through the present day and providing essential context around the most pressing issues faced by Pope Francis

"An extraordinary accomplishment: controversial, but crucial for discussions in today’s Catholic Church.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

When the jolly Italian peasant-turned-cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli of Venice was elected Pope John XXIII in 1958, change was in the air. The Church, many said, had refused to enter the twentieth century. In response, Pope John launched Vatican II, an “ecumenical council” that summoned hundreds of church leaders to Rome. It marked one of the most progressive turns the Church had taken in centuries: “medicine of mercy,” as Pope John called it. Yet not everyone in the Church was prepared to accept this modernization. The lines were drawn—in a battle that continues to rage into the twenty-first century.

In Jesus Wept, Philip Shenon takes us inside the Holy See to reveal its intricacies, hypocrisies, and hidden maneuverings, bringing all the momentous disputes and issues vividly to life: priestly celibacy, birth control, homosexuality, restoring ties with other Christians and Jews, shameful sex abuse crimes, the role of women in the Church.

In his rich portrayals of the popes from John to Francis, Shenon draws on research across four continents, including hundreds of interviews and the exhaustive archival material. He also brings to light other key figures in the Church, such as Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, the incredibly powerful, conservative, and staunchly anticommunist director of the Holy Office under Pius XII, who lived proudly by the motto semper idem—“always the same.” This is a consummate, vibrant history of the modern Church.

Balanced and seemingly well documented

I am impressed with the even handed praise and criticism the author brought to the entire text
Exceptional presentation of a Byzantine system

Lucid History of the Modern Church

This is an excellent presentation of a well-researched account of recent church history. Highly recommended!

Shocking and educational

It’s difficult to see how anyone can read this book and remain Catholic. The greed, ruthless machinations, egoism, moral blindness and grotesque crimes of the hierarchy are damning, but hardly surprising. I now understand so much that seemed inexplicable to me when I was growing up Catholic, I was following Christ’s direction to love, serve, forgive, lift up the lowly, shelter the vulnerable whoever they may be, and to deal with the log in my own eye before condemning my neighbor for the splinter in his. Meanwhile the men leading the Church were doing anything but. They were busy destroying my Church, my country. and my faith. There were many moments in this book when I gasped out loud at their extremely heinous behavior. The Church needs cataclysmic change to cleanse itself of its sins. It will never be put right until it addresses the intrinsic evil and tunnel-vision of an all-male and celibate priesthood. And after reading this book, I realize that is just the beginning of the change that is needed.

Revealing the Hidden History

A remarkably detailed narrative that reveals the inner workings of the Catholic Church in modern times. I learned for the first time about the breadth of worldwide support for progressive reforms as well as the Vatican’s stunning resistance to change and the tragic and arguably criminal inability to confront its sexual abuse scandals.

Terrific Historical Overview

Well-written and enormously interesting. Took me a minute to get used to the reader’s voice, but I soon enjoyed that, too. Definitely recommend!