The End and the Beginning

In The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II—The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy, author George Weigel delivers a compelling sequel to his acclaimed biography, Witness to Hope. Drawing from new sources, he chronicles Pope John Paul II's pivotal role in the fight against communism, detailing the influence of the charismatic Karol Wojtyła on Poland and the broader collapse of European communism. Weigel also explores the Pope’s challenging final years marked by illness and the revelations of corruption within the Church, culminating in a reflective assessment of John Paul II's enduring legacy as a symbol of hope.