"A monumental work of twentieth century capitalism as it was jointly embraced by the Vatican and the United States and those caught up in it.

"Did his struggle for basic human rights and dignity for born-out-of-wedlock children, the handicapped, women, the remarried, homosexuals and the poor cost him his life?"

Unless one understands the mystery of his life - something the Vatican prefers to keep secret - The Secret Life of John Paul - one will never understand the mystery of his unwitnessed death. This book is in its fourth edition.

The only existing biography of the 33 Day Pope.

"A monumental work of twentieth century capitalism as it was jointly embraced by the Vatican and the United States and those caught up in it.

Lucien Gregoire, friend-biographer of Albino Luciani, has written books on the evolution of world religions in a simple and enlightening way so that a child can easily understand them. This is one of them.

His mother, a devout Catholic, prayed before wooden crucifixes.

I recall gazing at the stillness of my childhood friend in a coffin and the nun telling me that God had taken him back because he had been made of sin.