Second volume of 'Jesus of Nazareth' expected next spring

(September 15, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI's second volume on the life of Jesus is likely to be completed sometime next spring, a Vatican spokesman said. The book is expected to cover Christ's childhood, passion, death and resurrection. The first volume, the best-selling "Jesus of Nazareth," was published in 2007. The Vatican Spokes person, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told Catholic News Service September 13 that next spring was a "realistic" target date for completion. He added that readying the manuscript for publication and translating it into other languages could add to the timeline, however. The pope has been working on the volume over the last two years, especially during his summer vacations. When he broke his right wrist at the start of his vacation in July, he was said to have been particularly disappointed because it meant he couldn't write for several weeks.