John L. Allen Jr.
Pope Leo XIII is depicted seated in an official Vatican portrait circa 1878. Photo: CNS/Library of Congress Anew pope is elected with a history of health issues, who tells people early on he doesn’t expect to have a lengthy papacy. He reigns longer than anyone expected, but eventually faces a health crisis that requires a serious surgery, and which leads many people to assume the end is finally at hand. In fact,…
