Did you know that the Vatican is a country--the smallest in the
world? Find out the amazing history of the headquarters of the Catholic
Church.
It's time to elect a new pope. Hundreds of thousands of people gather in
front of St. Peter's Basilica to learn who will be the next leader of
the Catholic Church. A white puff of smoke from a chimney signals the
cardinals--the princes of the church--have elected one of their own who
will continue to be the leader of the faith that has been around for
more than two thousand years. Author Megan Stine charts the beginning of
Christianity and its hold on members of the faith as well as the
countless struggles for power (one pope was poisoned by his own men!),
the building of the Vatican and creation of the Sistine Chapel, and the
Secret Archives that hold papers the church has accumulated over the
centuries.