Labourer in the vineyard - Greg Watts

On Tuesday 19 April 2005, the new pope was presented to the the world. As the crowds cheered, the questions were already forming. Who was Benedict XVI? What were his priorities? Where would he lead the Church? Many people felt they knew him already. For over 20 years he was the Vatican's 'enforcer', the man responsible for maintaining Church doctrine and correcting error. The words 'conservative' and 'hardline' were used in most media despatches. Many welcomed his election as they felt he would continue the legacy of John Paul II. Others feared that, under his leadership, the Church would not move forward to engage with a changing world. In this lively new book, Greg Watts presents an engaging portrait of the pope, looking at his background, beliefs, priorities, interests and style of leadership.

Catholic journalist and author, currently working for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.