Pope's Book about Bishop Life will be released in May

Italian publishing giant Mondadori announced yesterday it is negotiating worldwide rights for Pope John Paul II's new book, a recollection of his years as bishop in Poland.

Pope John II is elected as the Pope since 1978. Over two decades, he has gained a lot of experience in ministry and maintained the tradition of the Roman Catholics. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, the spokesman of Pope John, described the book as "recollections and reflections".

The most impressive topic includes memories of his clashes with Communist authorities in Poland as well as his meetings with people of all walks of life at the archbishop's palace in Krakow, Navarro-Valls said.

The 200-page book is titled "Get Up, Let Us Go," taken from a passage from Mark in the Gospels of Christ speaking to his disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane just before his betrayal and crucifixion. Navarro- Valls said the book is suitable for the general public to read instead of religious people only.

The book will come out in Italy on the Pope's 84th birthday May 18 - a decade after the publication of John Paul's heavily autobiographical "Crossing the Threshold of Hope."

Gian Arturo Ferrari, head of Mondadori's book division, said royalties from "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" were given by the pope for building churches in Eastern Europe.

Mondadori officials said they are negotiating rights for the English, French, German and Spanish versions, and it was not immediately clear exactly when they would come out.