{"product_id":"conclave-the-politics-personalities-and-process-of-the-next-papal-election-9780385504539","title":"Conclave: The Politics  Personalities and Process of the Next Papal Election","description":"\u003cp\u003eA captivating insiders guide to the politics and personalities that will have a tremendous impact on one of the worlds most secretive and important eventsthe election of a pope.  The next time a conclave unfolds in Rome  some 6 000 journalists are expected to descend on the Eternal City to cover the death of John Paul II and report on the election of his successor. The man in white who emerges from the Sistine Chapel at its conclusion will automatically become one of the most important figures on earth  a leader who commands a unique combination of political and spiritual power. Depending on how he chooses to exercise that power  governments and political systems may rise or fall  religious wars may heat up or abate  and the Church may undergo a radical transformationfrom changes in its stances on such issues as sexuality  the place of women in the Church  to the role of the papacy itself.  Conclave is a fascinating look at the election process and at what this headline-making occasion will mean to the world. John L. Allen  Jr.  takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the issues  parties  and people most likely to determine the outcome. Setting the election within a broader context  he explains why it matters who becomes pope  discusses their role in the modern world  and examines the issues that will form the agenda of the next papacy.  Although the book is not intended as a handicappers guide  Allen does offer his own informed list of the top twenty contenders for the position. He creates  as well  a classification system that clarifies the differences among the informal political parties that exist within the College of Cardinals  the body of 130-plus men who will elect John Paul IIs successor. In conclusion  he presents a critical  independent-minded profile of each of those cardinalsfor one of them will certainly be the new pope.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45647000895541,"sku":"ByrdShop_0385504535","price":21.42,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780385504539.jpg?v=1781685002","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/conclave-the-politics-personalities-and-process-of-the-next-papal-election-9780385504539","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}