Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church

By Thomas J. Reese

Book Overview

There are one billion Catholics in the world today, spread over every continent, speaking almost every conceivable language, and all answering to a single authority. The Vatican is a unique international organization, both in terms of its extraordinary power and influence, and in terms of its endurance. Popes come and go, but the elaborate and complex bureaucracy called the Vatican lives on. For centuries, it has served and sometimes undermined popes; it has been praised and blamed for the actions of the pope and for the state of the church.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674932609
• ISBN13: 9780674932609
• Release Date: December 1996
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.0" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Scary but true.

Once you know what goes on Inside the Vatican, as a Catholic, you may want to get out. Methodist anyone?

an authoritative book on the Vatican!

A must buy in order to understand the Roman Curia!

An Enlightening Look Behind the Vatican?s Closed Doors

One young girl wrote in a book report "This book tells me more about hippopotamuses than I wanted to know." Unless you have a special interest in the Vatican inside story, this book may also tell you too much. But since the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church is one of the three most efficient corporate structures in the world, and since its work touches the lives of a billion Roman Catholics (and much of the rest of the world as well), and since its failings have been at the center of controversy in the Catholic world, the book is important. It is a well written and exhaustive summary of how the central Catholic government is structured and makes its decisions. The author, who has written on church governance at all levels, is a recognized expert in the field. Despite the controversial nature of the topic Reese treats the Curia fairly and objectively. Those who complain about the Curia should read this book, for while many of their complaints may be justified, they might be surprised at the amount and complexity of the work the Vatican does, the care and dedication with which they try to do it, and the problems and difficulties they labor under. The section on the internal culture of the Curia is particularly enlightening, and the author's concrete and professional suggestions for reform are valuable.

Inside Scoop

Reese does an outstanding job investigating the ins and outs of the Vatican. Being careful to remain objective, Reese also interviews dozens of prominent cardinals, bishops and priests as well as religious and laity who work for the center of Christianity. Conservatives speak along side liberals giving the reader views and perspectives from both sides of the work from the pope, the cardinals and bishops, the Roman Curia, and the Vatican officials. I highly recommend this book for the individual who wants to know what goes on in this complex place described in a simple and readable fashion.

This is a great book on the Vatican and the Catholic Church

This is a great book which gives a deatailed account of the inside of place which most people do not even what goes on inside of it.