Pope-Pourri: What You Don't Remember from Catholic School

By John Dollison

Book Overview

How many Catholics know that a priest invented the fax machine, or that monks were the first to make coffee, champagne, and pretzels? How many know why St. Elmo is portrayed in art with his intestines hanging out, or why St. Maximus is often shown commanding a bear to carry his luggage?

Probably none. The Catholic Church is all too eager to tell us about the Ten Commandments, the Resurrection, and the glories of St. Peter's Basilica, but how often do you hear about items like "Pope on a Rope" soap, or the "Let Us Spray" lawn sprinkler (shaped like Pope John Paul II, the sprinkler squirts water out of his outstretched arms as it spins)?

It's all here in "Pope-Pourri"-- an unprecendented collection of entertaining anecdotes, trivia, and intriguing information that the Catholic Church never told you about-- and in many cases doesn't want you to know about. Such as the bizarre story of the "Cadaver Synod", when Pope Stephen VI dug up the rotting corpse of his predecessor, Pope Formosus I, dressed it in papal robes, and put it on trial for "aspiring to the papacy" and other crimes. Other unusual footnotes to Catholic history include the Cataphrygians, an early separatist movement whose members prayed with their index and middle fingers inserted into their noses.

"Pope-Pourri" celebrates the wealth of amusing trivia the Church has produced during its 2,000-year history-- from oddball saints to the Vatican's censorious movie reviews, from strange Virgin Mary sightings to embarrasing secret scandals-- presented for the first time in one fascinating volume that practicing Catholics, lapsed Catholics, and the merely curious will all enjoy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671886150
• ISBN13: 9780671886158
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Fireside
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.46 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Pope-Pourri: What you don't remember from catholic school

Great service. Prompt, book was as promised in the description. THank you for your professionalism!

Pope Pourri

What an awesome book. It is the perfect gift for my very Catholic girlfriend! Thanks so much.

Hell-tastic

I received a copy as a gift and absolutely loved it. Dollison's hilarious commentary blends well with the collection of quirky and offbeat vignettes. I'm not an avid churchgoer, yet I still enjoyed the entire book from cover to cover. I even purchased copy for one of my co-workers! I highly recommend purchasing a copy. You'll laugh your way back to the Reformation!

Entertaining and probably blasphemous

I'm not altogether convinced the writer won't end up in Purgatory, but this book is an absolute hoot. Both my husband (who has had no formal Catholic indoctrination) and I (a confirmed Catholic with 11 years of parochial schooling) enjoyed it immensely. It's got some fascinating bits of trivia.It's also (forgive me) ideal restroom reading. The little chapters and vignettes are just the right length. We keep our copy in the "smallest room" and never grow bored with it.

What they never told you in Sunday school

It's an excellent book. Everything they never told you in CCD, Sunday school, or Catholic school. Humorous, at times hysterical, and faith-shattering.