You are the Future (with) I Believe in Youth; To the Young People of the World
Boston: St. Paul Editions, 1979, 1981. First editions. Two volumes. Sixteenmo (each volume measures 7 1/4 inches tall), maroon and light blue textured paper boards, original dust jackets. Slight separation to the lamination of the dust jacket of first volume. Books and dust jackets about-fine. Item #532
"JESUS WHO LOVES YOU PARTICULARLY, DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS, WILL LISTEN MORE EASILY TO THE PRAYERS OF THE POPE AND OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE OF GOD, IF YOU, YES PRECISELY YOU, PRAY TOGETHER WITH ALL OF US"
Handsome two-volume treasury of Pope John Paul II's earliest messages to the "the young people of the world." In the fall of 1978, Karol Wojtyla emerged from the second papal conclave in a "Year of Three Popes" as Pope John Paul II. The new Pope quickly set about shattering, once and for all, the old image of the Holy Father as the "Prisoner of the Vatican." The young, globe-trotting John Paul was "seemingly bursting with energy, he came even more to life at rallies and gatherings of huge crowds, whose adulation he clearly enjoyed. His gratification was obvious when the crowds chanted, 'John Paul, we love you!' He had a gift for the dramatic gesture, the most familiar of which was falling to his knees and kissing the tarmac the first moment he arrived in a new country." (John W. O'Malley, A History of the Popes).
A defining element of John Paul's long pontificate was his pastoral ministry to the youth. The Pope not only welcomed them in Rome, he traveled the globe, meeting with seminarians, students, and youth groups seeking to support their ability to resist the ills of the modern age. John Paul's evangelical efforts culminated in the creation of World Youth Day, established in 1985 and held for the first time in 1986. These two hardcover volumes—"You are the Future, You are My Hope" and "I Believe in Youth, Christ Believes in Youth"—are rarely seen together. The short passages in this treasury were selected by the Daughters of St. Paul from the Pope's appearances in a variety of settings. Each volume is prefaced with a brief Introduction and illustrated throughout with dozens of photographs of the charismatic young pontiff. The selections are indexed to facilitate study. Also issued by St. Paul Editions in paperback. A testament to the great vigor of the early days of John Paul's pontificate.
Price: $125.00