The New Pope

Following the incapacitation of the unconventional Pope Pius XIII, the Catholic Church installs a new leader in the form of the English aristocrat Sir John Brannox, who takes the name John Paul III. Brannox is a troubled, conflicted man hiding deep personal secrets, and his papacy is shaped by internal Church politics, a crisis of faith, and the growing threat of religious extremism. Meanwhile, the comatose Pius XIII remains a potent symbolic presence, venerated by devoted followers around the world.