"It is not hard to make the case that younger popes, provided they are only pope for five years, cannot hurt—and could easily help—the fortunes of the Catholic Church." Paul Lakeland raises the possibility of papal term limits: www.commonwealmagazine.org/lakeland-pop...

The New Yorker: “Best Books of the Year So Far”

The Economist: Best Books (“This book is gripping and damning in equal measure”)

Discussing the Conclave and “Jesus Wept” on PBS News Hour

Pius XII. The first of my seven popes. Fascinating…. x.com/praytherosar...

Jesus Wept: “Detailed, engaging, often amusing and always accessible.” www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/c...

How will Pope Francis' legacy shape the conclave? www.npr.org/2025/04/27/n...

Cardinals will pick the next pope in private. But outside of the Vatican, it’s a very public contest with betting pools and bingo cards.

As cardinals gather to elect a new pope, I found Philip Shenon's new book, "Jesus Wept," to be fascinating reading! A biography of popes and history of Catholic Church from WW2 (Pius XII) to Pope Francis. Highly recommended! @philipshenon.bsky.social #EconSky #Religion

We had bestselling author & veteran journalist @philipshenon.bsky.social on @rejectedcentral.com to talk about his new book and the "battle for the soul" of the Church. (Also rejection, naturally.) Available wherever you pod! rejectedcentral.com @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social @aaknopf.bsky.social

We had bestselling author & veteran journalist @philipshenon.bsky.social on @rejectedcentral.com to talk about his new book and the "battle for the soul" of the Church. (Also rejection, naturally.) Available wherever you pod! rejectedcentral.com @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social @aaknopf.bsky.social

JFK assassination files. Back on my old beat on Tuesday.

The Best Books We Read This Week

In the developed world, the Pope has become more rather than less central to Catholic life: a monarch, a cleric, a celebrity, and a fellow-believer all in one. A new book traces the history of the papacy in the mass-media age.

Jesus Wept: “Compelling.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/15/b...

Jesus Wept: “Lively.” airmail.news/sh/Jgh3J1

How did the Catholic church go so wrong? www.economist.com/culture/2025... from The Economist

"A detailed, journalistic chronicle of pivotal, sometimes problematic clergymen." www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/j... @aaknopf.bsky.social @philipshenon.bsky.social

The early reviews are in…

New book, updated website… www.philipshenon.com

Booklist (started review): “Endlessly fascinating, insightful and brilliantly told.”

Jesus Wept: “Gripping.” literaryreview.co.uk/sanctity-sca...

New York Times Book Review: "The Books We're Excited About in Early 2025." www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/b...