This is the cover of Absolute Power: How the Pope Became the Most Influential Man in the World by Paul Collins. The book is reviewed by Brian T. Olszewski. (CNS)
Help us expand our reach! Please share this article Absolute Power: How the Pope Became the Most Influential Man in the World by Paul Collins. PublicAffairs (New York, 2018). 367 pp, $28.
Early in Absolute Power, Paul Collins says 1799 was probably the lowest point in the history of the papacy. What follows is a look at Catholic history as shaped by world affairs, the institution of the papacy and its power, and how the successors of St. Peter from the early 19th century through Pope Francis have used that power.