Emeritus Pope Benedict commanded both adulation and unremitting criticism. To millions, he was a beacon of light in a turbulent modern world. In this second volume of Peter Seewald's authoritative biography, the story continues from the Second Vatican Council (1965-8) right up to his resignation in 2013 - the first Pope to do so in almost 600 years. We see how Benedict was influenced by the Council and the ensuing political unrest all over Europe to move from a liberal perspective on the Church and the modern world to one that was profoundly conservative. Appointed in 1981 as prefect of the Congregation of Doctrine of the Faith, and quickly nicknamed 'God's Rottweiler', he proved to be intransigent on the controversial issues of abortion, contraception, gay rights and gay marriage. But elected Pope in 2005, his tenure of office was so riven with shocking revelations of controversy and scandal that it seemed that by the time of his resignation in 2013 he was incapable of handling the complexities of the Church in the modern world. Vatileaks, sexual abuse by priests, the Regensburg speech which became the spark of an eruption of anger and rage in the Muslim world - all these hit the world's media headlines. Peter Seewald was the only person who was close enough to Benedict to assess the man himself and to uncover the truth about so many of the controversial issues surrounding this most controversial papacy. Seewald has already published two books of interviews with Benedict and this book is based not just on meticulous research but on many hours of recorded interviews with Benedict himself. It will stand for many years as the definitive biography of Benedict XVI from an author with unrivalled access to the Pope Emeritus.

The second volume of Peter Seewald's magisterial life of Pope Benedict covers the period from the Second Vatican Council (1965-8) to his resignation in 2013.

About the Author
Peter Seewald has worked as a journalist for Stern, Spiegel and the Suddeutsche Zeitung and is one of the most admired authors on religion in Germany today. Throughout his career he has remained one of the writers closest to Pope Benedict and has interviewed him for countless hours. His book of conversations with Pope Benedict, Last Testament, was published by Bloomsbury Continuum in 2016, and the first volume of his biography of the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was published by the same imprint in late 2020.

Reviews
Seewald's passionate biography makes one sympathise with the bookish Bavarian. * Daniel Rey, Literary Review *
The first volume of Peter Seewald's Benedict XVI: A Life (up to Vatican II) last year was enjoyable and illuminating. The last volume is an insight into hard times. * The Tablet *
... the book is crisply written, consistently entertaining and frequently thought-provoking. * First Things *
With Seewald's unparalleled access to the pontiff, the strength of his biography comes from bringing Benedict's personality to the forefront, helping us to get to know the great theologian-pope better, while gaining insight into the providentially guided trajectory of his life. * Denver Catholic *
... enormously authoritative. * SteveReads blog *



Book Information
ISBN 9781472979216
Author Peter Seewald
Format Hardback
Page Count 576
Imprint Bloomsbury Continuum
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Weight(grams) 1034g