The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections

In 1271, with the papal throne vacant for over two years, local officials locked the cardinals of the Catholic Church in a room, forcing them to select a new pope. From this inauspicious beginning arose the practice of the conclave, the highly secretive combination of rituals and politics designed to select a new leader for the world's Catholic population. With Pope John Paul II ailing, the time for a new conclave draws nearer, and Rome is preparing for over 6,000 journalists and innumerable interested onlookers to descend on the Eternal City to witness the election of the next leader of the Catholic Church. In The Conclave, prominent Catholic historian Michael Walsh takes readers through the history of conclaves past, highlighting the vendettas, feuds, and political intrigues that have colored the selection of a new pontiff. An entertaining history of the secret deliberations, colorful stories, and even bloody events that surround the making and unmaking of popes, The Conclave is a great story, a great history, and an important work for anyone interested in the papacy.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 In Times of Persecution Chapter 2 The End of Empire Chapter 3 Descent into Chaos Chapter 4 Attempting Reform Chapter 5 The Invention of the Conclave Chapter 6 Princely Pontiffs Chapter 7 The Great Powers take a Hand Chapter 8 Modern Times Chapter 9 How to Spot a Pope

About the Author :
Michael Walsh is a prominent Catholic author and historian. A former Jesuit, he is the archivist for the Jesuit-founded Heythrop College at London University, serves as editor of the Heythrop Journal, and is a columnist for the international Catholic publication The Tablet. A regular commentator on religious issues for the BBC, ITV, and North American stations, Walsh's best-selling books include Pope John Paul II: A Biography, Lives of the Popes, and the Dictionary of Christian Biography. He and his wife Kathie have two grown daughters and live in North London.

Review :
A well-written survey of papal elections from the earliest times to the present day. Walsh's book is especially valuable for those who wish to follow the changing procedures for choosing the pope over the centuries. His material on the first millennium provides a long-needed account that is not available elsewhere. The Conclave is church history as it is meant to be written: with style, energy, and even wit. The sinful and the saintly, the conniving and the compassionate, the greedy and the good, make up this entirely fascinating survey of the history of papal elections. In a book for scholars and layperson alike, Michael Walsh offers solid research, brilliant prose, and, best of all, a terrific story. In The Conclave, Michael Walsh has written a concise new history of the Papacy from a fresh perspective, focused not so much on the character and achievements of the Bishops of Rome during their time of office, as on the issues, struggles, and occasional violence and intrigue that have surrounded their elections. More than any other brief history of the papacy currently available, this book brings out the political and cultural context in which the Papacy operates, as authority is handed on from successor to successor in the Petrine ministry. Walsh combines a historian's learning and care for detail with a story-teller's gift for gripping narrative, and the result is both instructive and entertaining. Recommended for seminary and academic libraries and for community libraries with strong religion circulations.