Heirs of the Fisherman Behind the Scenes of Papal Death and Succession

The election of a new pope always captures the world's attention, as alleyes turn to the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, where the color of the smokeis our only clue to the secret deliberations inside. In this fascinating volume,former Vatican insider John-Peter Pham takes us where outsiders have never gonebefore, providing vital background to the selection of the heir of thefisherman.Here is a highly accurate portrait of the modern Vatican--indeed, the onlyaccount to reveal the striking changes to papal succession procedures made byPope John Paul II. Blending political and ecclesiastical history, Pham goesbeyond a mere description of the complex rituals--including a rare insight intothe dramatic shifts inside the College of Cardinals, whose 130 members now hailfrom 57 nations around the globe. Pham takes us into the secret conclave (fromthe Latin cum clave, "with key"), where the electors are kept under lock andkey, incommunicado, until they have selected a new pope. Here we find afascinating chronicle of political intrigue set in the context ofritual--including a chapter devoted to the intrigues of the 20th century wherethe first conclave had an emperor's veto and the last was won by the firstnon-Italian in four centuries because the Italians were bitterly divided.In a most timely analysis, Pham also provides a valuable one-by-oneassessment of the present-day cardinals and possible candidates (papabili, orpope-ables) to succeed John Paul II. He explores the legacy of this highlyinfluential pope--looking beyond his papacy to discuss the highly-charged issuesthat his successor will have to confront, including financial and sexualscandals, the roles of priests and women, and the very future of the churchitself.And throughout the book, he provides a gold mine of information that makethis book an indispensable reference, including appendices that containbiographical notes on many of the key personalities of Catholicism past andpresent as well as a useful glossary of Catholic history and theology.Here then is an illuminating history and must-have guide to a vitallyimportant world event, one that is moving ever closer and will be watched withintense interest by more than a billion people around the globe.

John-Peter Pham is a frequent writer and commentator on religious and public affairs. An alumnus of the post-graduate Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, he served as a Vatican diplomat as well as an aide to both the Vicar General of His Holiness for the Vatican and the President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. Dr. Pham is presently the Director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University.