Greg Tobin Knihy

Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, who became Pope John XXIII in 1958, initiated a transformative ecumenical council aimed at modernizing the Catholic Church. Expected to be a temporary leader, he instead convoked the Second Vatican Council, which spanned four years and four sessions. This groundbreaking event aimed to bridge the gap between the Church hierarchy and the laity, promoting a vision of the Church as a universal force for hope, justice, and compassion, while encouraging openness and engagement with the world.

It was the Age of HeroesValiant warriors like Hector, Ajax, wily Odysseus, and brave Achilles, their exploits in battle, their secret passions and hidden strengths, their friendships and rivalries -these are what legends are made of.It began with a stolen kiss and the abduction of the beautiful Helen, wife of a king.Diplomacy gave way to insults, and soon it fell to Agamemnon to restore the honor of his brother, Menelaus of Sparta, by leading an army of heroes to the gates of the enemy fortress.Combat raged for nine years, neither side able to dominate the other. Until a brave Spartan dreamed up a desperate and daring gambit that just might turn the tide of battle in Sparta's favor.Intrigue, deception, betrayal, and the love of a woman whose face launched a thousand ships brought two great armies to war.The place was Troy . . . and this is the epic story known as The Iliad .