Papal minibooks: Portable, affordable and rapidly disappearing

Published: 2006-10-13

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican is preparing to publish Pope Benedict XVI's biggest book to date: "Complete Teachings, Vol. I." At 1,376 pages, it's the kind of tome designed for libraries and specialists, covering the pontiff's output of speeches, messages, sermons and documents during his first nine months in office. But the pope's writings are also finding their way into more bite-sized volumes that are enjoying unusual popular success, according to the Vatican publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana. The pope's talks to families, diplomats, cardinals and young people have been issued in minibooks that sell for one euro each -- about $1.25. To its delight, the Vatican has found these smaller books rapidly disappearing; some of the more popular titles have sold tens of thousands of copies. "The world is discovering that Pope Benedict is a pope who should be read," said Salesian Father Claudio Rossini, director of the Vatican publishing house.

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