In his introduction, Duffy makes clear that this is not simply a best-of list. \u201cAn entirely plausible series with the same title could have been compiled with ten quite different popes as its subject matter,\u201d\u009d he writes, continuing, \u201cSo long a history, stretching over two millennia and touching almost the whole world, defies neat pattern-making.\u201d\u009d In lieu of imposing an artificial order on \u201cthe world\u2019s most ancient dynasty,\u201d\u009d then, Duffy chooses to highlight ten of the many influential figures among history\u2019s 262 Bishops of Rome, and at every turn, we feel the truth of Duffy\u2019s assertion that, \u201cThe papacy is an institution that matters, whether or not one is a religious believer.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
The book begins with the apostle Peter, \u201cthe Rock upon whom the Catholic Church was built,\u201d\u009d and finishes with the recently deceased John Paul II, who harnessed the powers of modern transportation and communication to speak directly to the devout in a reassertion of …Catholic doctrines…<\/p>\n