De vaticaandagboeken

by John Thavis

John Thavis had vijfentwintig jaar een van de meest fascinerende banen ter wereld: hij was verslaggever in het hart van Vaticaanstad. Dagelijks kon hij de machtigste katholieke leiders en hun politiek op de voet volgen. Het gaf hem een unieke kijk achter de schermen van een fascinerende, in nevelen gehulde wereld. In Vaticaanstad vechten kardinalen privéoorlogen uit, dreigen schandalen het pauselijk gezag te ondermijnen en wordt eerbied voor het verleden continu blootgesteld aan het moderne leven.

Thavis neemt de lezer mee vanaf de klokkentoren op de Sint Pieter tot in de basilieken diep onder de grond, van de politiek geladen pausverkiezing tot de seksschandalen wereldwijd en de controverses rondom anticonceptie - en verder.

Het scherpe en gevatte De Vaticaandagboeken is niet alleen geschreven voor katholieken (praktiserend of niet), het is een boek voor iedereen die geïnteresseerd is in internationale diplomatie en religie in een steeds verder geseculariseerde wereld.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion, History, Catholic, Theology, Audiobook, Biography

384 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely amazing. It is the ideal audio book in that it is all facts and not clever literary devices that require interpretation from either the narrator or better, the reader.

I can't say I had a lot of respect for Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, what with his very circumspect remarks at the Holocaust Memorial in Israel and his membership of Hitler youth, but this book, so far, has changed that. I now am rather in awe of his moral strength and intellectual PR skills that put the Church rather than his ego to the fore.

The book started off with his election but now comes the back story which is greatly involved with the pederasty rampant in the Church. In particular, the Legion of Christ and its corrupt and abusive founder Marcial Maciel Degollado. Marcial had been praised and promoted by Ratzinger's predecessor, Pope John Paul II, but Ratzinger, was having none of it. Perhaps for the first time in Papal history, the new Pope was critical, even if in a veiled way, of his predecessor's policies. Interesting.

I'm only on chapter 4.... and it is getting even better.

[Melindam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is quite a conundrum: how are you supposed to call a book -or even its style or writing- about Holy See politics "lovely", especially if it by no means shies away from handling topics difficult, serious or ugly? Even calling it a "nice surprise" should feel incongruous and yet.... it isn't.

Maybe it was journalist & Vatican correspondent John Thavis's character shining through? (I don't know anything about him, so it may be a feint?)

All I know at present is that I found his style very engaging. His authorial voice was knowledgeable, respectful, but funny and in no way obsequious. His analysis and insight is clear and it made all matters clerical easy to follow.

He managed to bring the Institution I had held mostly in contempt before Pope Francis became its pontiff, as close to human and humane (yes, quite a lot of clever myth-busting going on) as I couldn't even have imagined possible before.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in the papacy, religion in general, or history, this book is an excellent addition to your shelf. In particular it excels in providing detail from deep within the Curia and other Vatican and Roman Catholic institutions.

It opens with a tantalizing story of the nearly-forgotten bells of St. Peter's that were supposed to ring on the election of a new pope in 2005, and from there moves to chapters providing detailed scenes of such things as a meeting between Benedict and the renegade Lefebvrist movement.

I'm currently reading Absolute Monarchs, a one-volume history of the papacy, and added this book to the list the moment I heard about it. I'm switching from one book to the other and monitoring all the news out of Rome as Benedict abdicates and a new Pope is elected, and the timing for someone fascinated with history and especially that of the papacy could not be better.

The book moves along--I brought it home last night and I'm about 40% done already--but it's not skimpy in any way.

The author, John Thavis, has also just opened a blog dealing with the 2013 Conclave at http://www.johnthavis.com/

[Eric_W · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting, if uneven, look at the internal workings of the Vatican and its relationship to the Vatican press corps. I say uneven because the segments on the press corps are light, almost comical in several instances, and then he switches to much more serious topics as the way the Vatican mishandled the sexual abuse scandals and John Paul II's close relationship with Cardinal Marciel and the Legion, not to mention the personality of Pope Benedict. 

The book begins with some amusing stories from the enclave where they elected Cardinal Ratzinger as the Pope, following the death of John Paul II. Apparently there are numerous traditions that must be closely followed, but some of the modern trappings are just confused things. The bell-ringer who was supposed to ring the bell at the sight of the white smoke couldn't receive the news via radio because of the jamming devices installed by the Vatican to prevent Cardinals and others from using cell phones during the enclave. Moreover, the special stove they had installed in the Chapel with a special chemical to turn the smoke white couldn't be lit so you had a group of cardinals surrounding the stove trying to get it to light that resembled old men at a barbecue, as the Sistine Chapel filled with smoke -- don't tell the museum's curators of Michelangelo's painting. 

Secrecy at the Vatican rises to the level of fetish. Everything is hidden and probably the most important tenet is that no one must say anything negative about his (never a her) superior or say anything that might bring the church into disrepute. John Paul II had child-like naive love for anything that smacked of evangelical revivalism for the Catholic Church, which made him susceptible to the machinations of Cardinal Marcial, founder of the Legions of Christ and serial pedophile. Marcial and the Legionnaires would shower Rome's cardinals with expensive gifts worth up to $1000 not to mention millions in support of the Pope's travels. He was brought down, if you could say that, only following numerous charges from Legionnaires who described how if they felt guilty from Marcial's inflicted masturbatory sessions, he would absolve them on the spot and often claimed he had a special dispensation from Rome for his sexual proclivities. That became too much for Rome, not the sexual misconduct, the misuse of dispensations. In any case, he was never punished, only put out to pasture. (They admitted to his fathering several children and heterosexual affairs - after-all he was human- but they never admitted to the homosexual activities.) Marcial and the Legion never apologized, claiming only that Marcial would be Christ-like in his surrendering to the higher authority of the Pope. It's enough to make you puke.

Thavis devotes a chapter to the campaign by some of the church's reactionaries to have Pius XII (considered by some to be "Hitler's Pope") declared a saint. You might as well declare a Hershey Bar (seems like Catholics will pray to anything) a saint, setting the bar so low. I mean really; Aquinas, maybe, but Pius XII or John Paul II (considered by some to be Marcial's enabler)? Give me a fucking break.

Here's what Thavis has to say about it:
One of the traditional signs of sainthood, still very much taken into account by Vatican experts, is the existence of a “popular cult” –evidence that people pray to the person in the years following his or her death. The six-year-old Nennolina, for example, who was soon to be beatified [by Pope Benedict XVI] was this kind of grassroots saint. Her friends, neighbors and relatives kept the fame of her sanctity alive by publishing her letters, reporting her holiness widely and praying to the little Roman girl.

If the fact that Pius XII was a pope gave his sainthood cause some inherent advantages, in other ways it made perceptions of his holiness less immediate and less personal. He was for most Catholics a remote figure at the far end of the hierarchy. History would ultimately be his judge, and it always struck me that whatever “popular cult” he did have seemed to be centered in and around the Vatican. (p. 229-231)

As with any large organization, politics, secrecy and money reign supreme. Sometimes they also appear quite short-sighted. Desperate for a new parking lot inside the Vatican, the engineers maneuvered the Cardinals to authorize them to begin digging without allowing any archaeologists to check the site first for possible artifacts and things of historical interest. They claimed to have done some test bores, but were horrified when the bulldozers tore open a huge burial site with many hundreds of Roman tombs and full of mosaics and museum quality pieces. Had they had any sense, it seems to me, not to mention foresight, they never would have let the archaeologists in first (full disclaimer, I studied a bit of archaeology in college) and when the tombs had been found, turned it into a major tourist attraction, charging money to watch and then visit. They could have built the parking lot elsewhere and had buses (for a fee, of course) carrying people back and forth. They would have made much more money and kept everyone (except perhaps the asphalt engineers) very happy. Instead, despite their attempt at secrecy, the result was a huge scandal.

One of the most interesting sections described the attempt by the SSPX under the leadership of Marcel Lefebvre to influence Cardinal Ratzinger and the newly elected Pope. They were upset with the changes enacted by Pope John XXIII and wanted a return to the Latin mass and the more traditional (and medieval) form of worship. He belonged to  identifiable strand of right-wing political and religious opinion in French society that originated among the defeated royalists after the 1789 French Revolution. He defied Pope John Paul II and consecrated four bishops, an action for which he (and they) were excommunicated. He was particularly incensed by the Vatican's reaching out to other religious denominations, not believing in rapprochement. Apparently he and his followers didn't buy all that nonsense about the Pope being God's representative, Clearly, Lefebvre believed he had better communication with God than the Pope. The whole thing smacked of Luther's rebellion against the established order in 1521, his excommunication, and we all know where that led. Seems to me that Lefebvre met most of the conditions of heresy.

Thavis, a Vatican correspondent, and chief of the Rome Bureau for the Catholic News Service, for more than thirty years, says he wrote the book to reveal the inner workings of the Vatican, a place rife with political in-fighting and scandal, hardly the locus of a church with a unified and universal mission. Whether the institution will ever become governable in the modern world remains to be seen. Ratzinger (Benedict) gave up but it should not have come as a surprise. The man had spent his entire life seeking refuge from controversy and the world in general. He had decided at a very young age he wanted to be a cardinal, and enrolled in seminary at age 12, with but a brief stint in the German Army, his life was one of books (sounds delightful) and as an academic -- he never had a job as a pastor dealing with the day to day quotidian lives of parishioners -- fled conflict. I suspect the pressures of being Pope were just too much, so off to the monastery.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Only two days ago people the world over waited for white smoke to appear above St. Peter's Square and it isn't hard to understand why. The Holy See is arguably the most influential organization in the entirety of human history, the power it wields is sacred to faithful, but equally impressive to those outside the Catholic church.

In The Vatican Diaries, John Thavis lifts the veil of secrecy and sheds light on the politics that characterize life in Vatican City. Offering readers insight into the world he knew while working for the Catholic News Service.

The thing I liked most about this book is that unlike some other titles I've sampled over the years, Thavis humanizes the Vatican. He talks about her quirks and idiosyncrasies, points to her character by examining her structure and inhabitants. Even in print the city seems more real as seen through the eyes of one who holds such obvious passion for her past, present and future.

Thavis' writing isn't tinged with superiority either, its steady rhythm and light humor make The Vatican Diaries both easy to understand and delightfully entertaining. A great book for those looking for a more intimate look at the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

[Calzean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a fascinating set of snap shot of the Vatican. The author doesn't provide any sensational disclosures, rather he relates a few of his experiences, discusses some of the debates in the Vatican on child abuse, use of condoms, homosexuality and the power of the few, newer sects. There are some amusing tales of the dysfunction in this large organisation, the way things change with a new Pope, the cauldron of positions in the Vatican departments and some of it's exactness of the rites, customs and processes. Plus it is very readable.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Thavis, who covered the Vatican as a journalist for 30 years, betrayed his Minnesota roots when he wrote, “Attending these Rome academic conferences was like fishing on a slow day — you waited a lot and hoped something would bite.”
Thavis, a native of Mankato, Minn., and a graduate of St. John’s University in Collegeville, hooked an author’s dream: His book on the inner workings of the Vatican was ready to be released when Pope Benedict XVI unexpectedly announced his decision to retire.
Viking moved up the release date, making “The Vatican Diaries” as timely a read as a writer might hope for.
Thavis, whose byline ran in The Visitor for many years, retired just last year as Rome bureau chief for Catholic News Service.
That post and the many friends and sources he made in and around St. Peter’s often put him in unique position to observe and hear of any number of interesting goings on, some foolhardy, some machiavellian, some scandalous.
Anecdotes, even atrocities
There is, for example, the blatant disregard for an ancient cemetery by one Vatican City functionary, who is intent on bulldozing the monuments and the remains to add more parking to the cramped tiny space.
A lengthy chapter on the finally denounced, cult-like Legion of Christ gives a vivid picture of how power works in the Vatican, and it’s not a very nice portrait.
Thavis details how the once-revered founder of the Legion of Christ was protected by people in high places who refused to believe accusations made against him over the course of decades, and it was only when Father Marcial Maciel Degollado’s double life was revealed — that he had fathered children by two women, sexually abused his own son and hidden secret assets of nearly $30 million — that the Vatican finally intervened.
The incident has left an obvious black mark on the late Pope John Paul II’s record, but Thavis presents insight here that echoes in other Catholic locales around the globe.
He writes, “To a good number of Vatican officials, the calls for transparency and full accountability [in the Maciel case] were typical of moralistic (and legalistic) Americans, but not necessarily helpful for the universal church. . . As one Vatican offical put it, ‘We have a two-thousand-year history of not airing dirty laundry. You don’t really expect that to change, do you?’ ”
Thavis dives into the ongoing squabble over the ultra-conservative, breakaway Society of St. Pius X, sharing probably more than the typical Catholic would want to know about the battle over the validity of Vatican II by this hard-core group of naysayers.
Superb reporting, writing
There’s a terrific chapter that’s really a personality profile of the American priest who was one of the Vatican’s top Latin language experts — the fun, enlightening and eccentric Father Reginald Foster.
Foster — Thavis eschews his title throughout — is a reporter’s dream, someone on the inside who knows a lot, isn’t afraid to share and shares in colorful language. The chapter on “The Latinist” is of the quality of a piece you’d expect to read in the New York Times Magazine or The New Yorker.
Thavis went along to some 60 countries with John Paul II and Benedict XVI, and “The Vatican Diaries” includes hilarious anecdotes about life as a reporter on papal trips. There’s plenty about life covering the Vatican to enjoy reading, too, including the story about the pope’s preacher admitting he used Google as a source.
Readers will find that the halo they may have imagined above the heads of some high-ranking residents of Vatican City ends up, shall we say, “less glowing,” to describe it the way a Vatican official might, avoiding the use of the more accurate “tarnished.”
And that may be what Thavis does best here.
Important contribution
He offers sound reporting and analysis, to be sure. But he’s at the top of his game explaining how “The Vatican” sees things.
He translates Vatican-ese, putting in plain language what official statements really say, and in many cases what those statements say by not saying something directly.
Even when he gets into such minutia of a story that you wonder if all these details are necessary, Thavis seems to perfectly sum it up by interpreting the event’s significance. It’s as if, without using these words, he’s says, now here’s why this is important.
“The Vatican Diaries” is not only informative and entertaining. Published as the Catholic Church prepares to welcome a new leader, it gives us valuable insight into the organizational challenges the new pontiff faces.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a Catholic, but I admit I have a fascination with the Vatican, having visited the basilica, the Vatican museum, and the Sistine Chapel many years ago on a vacation to Rome. So when I saw that this book was described as a "behind the scenes look" I was curious to check it out. Also, with Pope Benedict having just retired, and with the selection of a new Pope imminent, this book seemed a very appropriate read for me right now.

I was not disappointed. The book was very readable, and details many "behind the scenes" items of the Vatican workings. Many chapters were amusing and show how things, such as the ringing of the church bells for specific events, and the color of the smoke coming from the Sistine Chapel chimney during conclave votes, are not be as regimented and organized as you would expect.

The book covers events during the terms of both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict. It covers the sex abuse scandal is great detail, and also has several chapters on the press team that travels with the Pope, as well as "gossip" and "scuttlebutt" on several world leaders who have had visits with the Pope.

If you are at all interested in the inner workings of the Vatican, this book is both an enjoyable and informative read.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have an interesting family history with the Catholic Church. I grew up Catholic—like, very Catholic—but then again, my great-uncle was a Catholic priest who ran off to Bermuda with one of his nuns, aggressively got excommunicated, and then married said nun.

I’m not Catholic anymore (being queer does that to a person) but I've read a decent amount about it, so I really thought I knew everything about the Catholic Church. But this is an unusual, insider-yet-outsider take on how the hierarchy works—both by prescription and, more interestingly, in fact.

During Pope Benedict's reign, John Thavis was a member of the volo papale—the reporters who follow the pope around all day every day. This sounds glamorous, especially to Thavis’s family and friends in Minnesota, but as he points out, trailing after the pope often has its complications.

For instance, when Pope Benedict was giving a monumental address, the volo papale were stuck in a traffic jam—Thavis actually called his wife and told her to put the pope’s speech on television and narrate it so he’d have something to write about.

In another story about the hilarious chaos that is the volo paple, Thavis writes, “Once, in Azerbaijan, the government put us in a newly purchased oversized motorcoach . . . that promptly had its roof ripped off at the first underpass outside the airport. The driver kept going at full throttle, thinking it was a terrorist attack.” I died reading this.

Thavis talks about some of the more controversial moments of Pope Benedict’s reign (like his suggestion that it’s morally permissible for HIV+ sex workers to use condoms) and dug into some interesting tensions within the Catholic Church, including the delicate ceasefire with the conservative Catholic branch known as the Lefebvrists, who were opposed to all the changes of Vatican II and who ordained their own bishops against papal law—but who were too important to excommunicate.

Thavis also looks at the church's reaction (both public and private) to the child abuse scandals of the priesthood that came to prominence during Benedict's reign.

Definitely worth a casual read if you're interested in seeing a disinterested account of the inner workings of the powers-that-be of the Catholic Church.

[Tony Cinque · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, often in a journalistic conversational style, that draws the reader in to many somewhat behind the scenes encounters within the Vatican’s otherwise inner circle.

We are shown the human side of the vast administration involved in running the juggernaut that is the Vatican, counter posed with the apostolic mission it seeks to impart to the world. A difficult juggling act, often exposing many gaffes and dissenters.

This behind the scenes look shares many anecdotes during the pontificates of Popes John Paul II and Benedict, demonstrating the difficulty in keeping the Vatican machine tuned to a single spiritual message.

The book deals with several topics, some more light-hearted, others quite serious. From the pope’s hemline, to the sex abuse scandal, to the machinations of a papal enclave, and others besides. Many examples are provided in order to draw out the complexities of keeping the Vatican coherent and relevant to the wider world.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not an expose' of the Vatican but a behind-the-scenes look. The author was a reporter & bureau chief for Catholic News Service for over 25 years. He did a fair job on being fair but you could tell from his writing that he did not care too much for Pope Benedict, although he did try to understand his motives.

The author traveled with the popes (John Paul II and Benedict) but often being part of the Vatican entourage was a hindrance in reporting and taking photos.

I had always thought everyone looking kindly to Pope John Paul II. However, if he had one failing it would be his blind eye to the Father Maciel (Legions of Christ founder) sexual abuse of seminarians. He (Pope John Paul II) did find Father Macial as an "immoral man" but was quite impressed with the Legions of Christ for ordaining so many priests and for bringing in a lot of much to the church.

What did Pope Pius do or think of the Holocaust? Was he aware? The author tried to shed light on this subject but the real truth is hidden in the Vatican archives. Apparently, there is proof that convents did hide Jews in Rome, but what did the Pope know or do? In the news recently, Pope Francis has agreed to open the secret Vatican files on this subject.

The is a lot of disconnect and mistrust between the various departments of the Vatican. One department who is in charge of the buildings and facilities wanted to build a new parking garage for staff. However, he didn't want museum staff & archeologists near the building site because artifacts may be found which would delay the building. Yes, while building the Santa Rosa parking garage, they found a well preserved cemetery which had been covered in mud by a mudslide. It was so well preserved that you could read (in Latin, of course) the names and lives of the buried. Eventually the archeologists were called in and were able to save a few of the sarcophagi.

I was surprised to read about the communication disconnect at the Vatican. Apparently, the Vatican would re-write the speeches for posterity AFTER they had been given. Pope Benedict once said in Africa that condoms increase HIV. Once Vatican realized the uproar this caused, they had the speech re-written to "clarify" the statement.

I found this book easy to read and very informative.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Baptist girl with only a few Catholic friends, I felt I had a bit of a blind spot when the world started focusing on Pope Benedict's retirement and the process of selecting a replacement. So I turned to this book for a primer.

It's a nice look at the fascinating world of the Vatican, from the Pope's diplomatic visits on the papal plane to doctrinal debates that threaten to split the church. It explores the personalities of the two most recent popes, and how those led to triumphs and failures. Pope John Paul II, I learned, had a flair for the dramatic and often made news, while Pope Benedict was far more academic and often came across as cold. The former was more vulnerable to being duped by cults of personality, while the latter seem disconnected and in some ways lowered the public profile of the church.

It also gave a bit of a necropsy into the handling of the sex scandals. Thavis tells the story of Fr. Marcian Marcial (sp?), a Mexican priest who started a highly successful new order of the Catholic Church. Though he molested dozens of young seminary students, the secrecy policies of the church, and so many leaders who refused to believe such a superstar could be such a sham, led to a shameful cover-up. It goes to show that everyone needs sunlight and accountability, and nobody should be given unlimited power.

Thavis has a bit of a journalist's cynicism, and I get the feeling that he leaned a little too far to the skeptic side. I wasn't getting the sense of wonder that I know many (most?) Catholics feel about their faith -- only the dirt. Still, as a journalist, I understand, and enjoyed the book for what it was.

A great start for someone curious about everything from the conclave to beatification to the Vatican's diplomacy and interaction with the media. You'll even get to peek into the Pope's visit with George W. Bush. Well worth your time.

[Gay · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite what I thought it would be. The author is a member of the Papal press corp and I felt that colored a bit about what stories were told. Most of the stories were the big, scandalous ones that played out in the news. The people in the Vatican were presented as power-hungry and, at times, incompetent.

In general, the following topics were covered:
- The press corp travels with the Pope, but rarely gets to actually see him. They watch on televisions from somewhere else and the the travel arrangements are always unorganized.
- The Legion of Christ and the sex scandal that happened with the leader of this group
- The excavation of an area of the Vatican for a parking garage that uncovered a burial ground
- The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) and the battle to bring back the Tridentine mass; the struggle between conservative and liberal cathotics
- The Latinist, Reginald Foster who caused controversy by some of the things he said to the press.
- The beatification efforts for Pope Pius XII
- Papal audiences, the protocol that goes with them, and some of the failures of that protocol
- The church's stance on sex, condoms, and homosexuals in the preisthood
- Pope Benedict XVI and how he handled many of the situations above

[Scott Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not Catholic but for some reason I love reading about the Catholic Church and history of Popes. The power and influence of the church is immense and with everything powerful comes people vying for that power and that interests me.

The Vatican Diaries does not have one big event or point in my opinion but despite this I found the book very interesting. John Thavis has been a reporter covering the Vatican for decades. He has insight into some of the politics, political maneuvering and gossip in the Vatican.

Thavis sheds light on the Conclave process when Pope Benedict XVI succeeded Pope John Paul II.

I found the power struggle between cardinals and the different factions vying for influence to be the most interesting part of the book.

Similar to the United States which seems to go back and forth between different visions for the country the Vatican seems to go back and forth between old school conservatives and the cardinals/popes looking to modernize the church teachings. Thavis covers many issues the church faces including whether to allow priests to marry, the pedophile controversy in the church and the most interesting issue for me the AIDS/condom issue.

People were dying at alarming rates of AIDS and the church was faced with the very difficult issue of whether to condone condom use which would surely save millions of lives but go against the long held opposition to birth control.

Thavis also covers the battle over whether to canonize the controversial Pope. Pope Pius XII's supporters believe he help save thousand of jews from Hitler during world war II. His detractors believe he didn't do enough and even believe he may have been anti-semitic. I've read plenty on this topic and still don't know what to believe.

Overall an interesting book if you are interested in the Catholic Church.

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 this book was like crack to me. Very engaging and funny; I love when journalists write books about their jobs. Even though this covers many well known events it has its share of lesser known details that feed the gossip lover in me. It also successfully delivers on the subtitle and manages to pick its way succinctly through how the various departments of the Vatican slapfight their way to what you eventually sees while skimming the news widget.

The chapters about the mismanagement of St Peter’s bones (and many others), the kookiest Latin teacher imaginable, the beatification of Pius XII, and how Benedict really looked like he wanted to die toward the end were my favourite because they described the farcical and tragic, the goofy, the political, and the futile aspects of the Vatican and told stories I had not heard of before from start to end.

I wish this was published just a little later because a chapter on Benedict’s resignation would have been marvellous but a sequel is never impossible, surely…

[Trude T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Thavis on olnud aastaid ajakirjanik ja kajastanud Vatikanis toimuvat. Oma pika karjääri jooksul on mees kirjutanud lugematul hulgal artikleid katolikukirikust ja sellega seonduvast. Ta on reisinud koos paavstidega paljudes välisriikides, istunud ja oodanud pikki tunde, et saada intervjuusid kõrgetelt Vatikani ametnikelt. Raamatus puudutab ta muu hulgas ka seksuaalse ahistamise skandaale, kirjeldab Vatikanis toimivat võimuhierarhiat ja viib lugeja kaasa linnriigis toimunud väljakaevamistele. Mõnusalt ladusas vormis, hästi informatiivne ja pisut isegi humoorikas teos.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love behind-the-scenes books -- especially by those with great access and experience. This book gave me a backstage tour of some of the greater goings-on at the Vatican during the early and mid-2000. Controversies, antiquities, and even some funny side-stories. Very well-told by an excellent tour guide.

[Moshe Mikanovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look into some of the known and less known episodes of the Vatican in the last 20-30 years, quite interesting!

[Karen deVries · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have often thought that in-depth journalism could be considered a kind of ethnography for the masses. This book certainly fits both genres. Not only does it pay keen attention to and deliver all the markings of good storytelling, but it also provides a sense of the complexity and everyday-ness of Vatican culture. John Thavis, the author (who also happens to be a Minnesotan ,yay!), has amassed over 20 years of life in Rome where, after a few gigs for the AP, ABC News, and Wine Spectator, he had a long career writing for the Catholic News Service.

A good reporter and an official "Vaticanista," he has his ear to the ground for good stories and immersive experience observing how the Catholic church works ... and more accurately, how it oftentimes doesn't work. It turns out that basic lack of coordination between officials and failures of communication happen more often than outside appearances usually suggest. While his stories often have humorous elements, Thavis by no means makes fun of the Vatican or the Catholic Church. Instead, he approaches the institution and his topics with an inquisitive ear and a desire to understand. The entire book is rich with pleasurable detail, including:
* the troubles convincing the bell ringers that the papal conclave had indeed concluded
* a sobering and well-handled chapter on sub-cultures and hierarchies responding to (or not) sex abuse allegations
* the story of what might have been a major archeological find where a parking structure dig was taking place
* the difficulty reporters experienced in trying to understand the persona of Pope Benedict in their efforts to write compelling stories about him

If, like me, you enjoy stories that are about the makings of stories AND you're curious about how this plays out at the Vatican, then I highly recommend.

Review of the audiobook version because, until my dissertation is finished, cooking and driving time are the only available times I can "read" for pleasure. Speaking of which, one of the pleasures of the audio version is hearing the narrator's lovely pronunciation of Italian places and names. He also does a pretty good imitation of George Bush Jr.'s accent.

[Harry Allagree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this an extremely well-written & informative treatment of the Vatican, quite a bit different from the last two exposés by Jason Berry which I read previously. Thavis gives a bit more of the light-hearted, sometimes humorous side of the goings-on in Città del Vaticano. I particularly enjoyed Chapter 6, "The Latinist", and would love to meet Fr. Reginald Foster, though that's not likely since he's now 96 & in Wisconsin. Would that many more like him were hired on as Vatican staff! I learned a great deal from Thavis, who worked the Vatican journalist beat for over 35 years, and writes from a firsthand perspective. Specifically, I thought his Chapter 7, "The Pope Who Would Be Saint", on the whole Pius XII saga was well developed, factually researched (including actual visits to people involved in the story, etc.), and balanced with integrity & fairness to both the supporters & critics of Pius XII's cause.

The final chapter on Pope Benedict was very helpful in understanding this man with whom I've been somewhat familiar through books, articles, etc. since the mid-1960's. More than once since after Vatican Council II, at which Ratzinger was a "peritus", I've shared my personal take on him with others: "There's nothing worse than a liberal theologian gone conservative!" Thavis has helped me to temper that a bit, though I stand by my opinion, with an glimpse of the complex person Pope-emeritus Benedict is, and why he got that way. In 2005 I didn't want or think that he would be elected Pope. As it has turned out, I seriously wonder if he ever, really, wanted to be Pope, and, considering his track record, I'm more than ever convinced that he did the right thing in abdicating. The concern for me now is, having read & followed current Vatican politics pretty closely, if there's anyone among the cardinals who hands aren't tainted, and who has both the expertise & the will to begin bringing the Catholic Church into the 21st century.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a quick, fun, informative read. Written by an American journalist who has covered the Holy See for decades, "The Vatican Diaries" attempts to look beyond the aura that surrounds the inner workings of the Vatican and show how things really work. In John Thavis' telling, the Vatican is not a well-oiled machine but rather a thinly-staffed, loosely-run affair marked by frequent improvisation by relatively autonomous multicultural actors -- actors who measure progress and judge their actions by standards very different than those of the secular world. That reality is a key reason why, in Thavis' opinion, the secular media, especially the American press, has such a hard time covering the Vatican and gets so much wrong. In effect, the Vatican is speaking a language different from the one that the secular press is hearing. That problem was especially pronounced during the pontificate of Pope Benedict, a figure toward whom Thavis seems cool yet acknowledges did things that were more progressive and proactive than the press and public realized. To advance his points, Thavis arranges his book into essay-length chapters that consider different aspects of Vatican life. Topics range from the mechanics of announcing the selection of a new pope to the logistics surrounding papal trips abroad to the politics of where to build a new parking deck for Vatican employees to the response to the various sex-abuse scandals. Overall, this is an extremely informative book, not to mention a funny one, for anyone, Catholic or not, who has wondered how the Vatican actually works.

[Lianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. The premise of the book was fascinating as I've always been curious of how the Curia operated. It seemed timely that I got my hands on this book with the Conclave taking place.

The book was very informative, accessible and easy to follow. Thavis guides the reader through some of the formalities involved as well as amusing accounts not mentioned in the news, personal experiences and observations as well as intriguing characters that work in the Curia and that promote particular causes. The author touches on issues that are very much present in the Catholic Church at the moment: problems of administration, differences amongst the College of Cardinals, social issues, the sex abuse scandals, etc. He presents these issues by providing both sides of the debate and that many of these issues are still on-going/unresolved. Curiously (and, again, timely), this book also serves as a good recap of Pope Benedict XVI’s time as head of the Catholic Church.

I highly recommend this book if you’re into non-fiction overviews of institutions or if you’re interested in how the Vatican operates or if you’re a Catholic.

My complete review of the novel was originally posted at eclectictales.com: http://www.eclectictales.com/blog/201...

[Katherine Coble · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
As a non-Catholic I found this very interesting, but perhaps less interesting than someone within the church who is more familiar with all the personalities and institutional practices. Unlike other "inside the Vatican" books I've read, this _does_ have an approachable style that lends itself to a wider audience.
The main reason I'm giving it 3.5 instead of 4 stars, however, is that there are a lot of anecdotes about the Vatican press pool. I don't care about a bunch of journalists getting drunk on a plane, nor did I check this out of the library to read multiple complaints about where the Press was seated during various Papal events. I think the book tried to sell to two markets simultaneously--those interested in the Vatican and those interested in journalists' war stories.
It's a good non-fiction book for anyone curious about the Vatican's operation in the modern world. It's at its best when telling the stories of the people who live and work there to support the faith.

[Stephen Cranney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I respected the author's lack of journalistic sensationalism and nuanced and honest portrayal of topic that often evokes harsh feelings. "The Vatican" often conjures up Dan Brown-esque images of secret societies and omnipresent covert power; this book disabuses thoroughly disabuses that image, showing the Roman Curia as being a bureaucratic morass, with very little in terms of message shaping or PR control.

While sparing no justified barbs at the pedophile protectors and power players, He makes most of the Curia out to be generally well-meaning but incompetent bunglers. Yes, there's greed and ambition, but they're not particularly politically skilled, so any attempt at flexing their religious capital usually blows up in their face. Honestly, I felt pretty bad for Pope Benedict by the end.

[Cheyanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably have enjoyed this book even more if I were Catholic and knew more about Church history. As it is, I modified my opinion of Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II after reading it. The former comes off as more thoughtful and the latter as more autocratic than I expected. But mostly I enjoyed the many fascinating details about the lesser known officials who keep the Vatican running: the Latinist, who is dedicated to translating all the Vatican's declarations into the ancient language; the archeologists who unearth Roman ruins underneath a parking garage expansion; the experts in protocol who are dismayed when a President crosses his legs or a journalist doesn't understand the meaning of "dark suit."

[Deepa Rao · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Thavis is a veteran journalist who has been associated with the Vatican for over 30 years. As such, he has an insider's view of how the Vatican works combined with a journalist's flair for writing. I must clarify that this is not a religious book. It is about how a behemoth organization like the Vatican works and all the issues that plague it ranging from mistakes in scheduling of events to mishandling the media to much more serious scandals. It talks about the power struggles, the ambitions, the politics. The books covers a little of Pope John Paul II's reign and more of Pope Benedict's. It is an interesting book but I would have preferred something that gave a more balanced account as this one focuses mostly on the problems that beset the Vatican.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: John Thavis was the CNS reporter for the Vatican. He talks about a variety of issues and scandals in the church including the Legionaires, Pope Pius XII, and the sex abuse scandal.

Why I Read This: I was setting up microfilm and found this on a new books cart, so I started to read it and couldn't put it down. My goal was to finish before a new Pope was elected. Win!

Review: I enjoyed the book. I think that it was relatively fair and balanced, though I would disagree with some of the emphasis, particularly in later chapters. Overall I thought it was well done -- it didn't pander and allowed for nuances not normally found in press documents.

[Shelli McDowell]

I enjoyed this book - the product of a journalist's time spent covering the Vatican for a few decades. Rarely does anyone offer a more practical view of the inner workings of the Vatican, it's refreshing in a way to know that even the Pope has to handle obnoxious employee relations issues.

As an active Catholic, I appreciate someone taking the time to paint a more realistic picture of the people who run the Church. While I love Dan Brown books as much as the next gal, it seems clear that the Vatican is not quite the center of intrigue and mystery that it used to be and instead is a Church trying to maintain its integrity while charting a new path in modern times.

[Sahara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely read. I despise all religious institutions that "need" insane wealth to cover their fat asses






yes they need 170 billion dollars in the Americas alone...also they need "in house secretaries" to release tension!!!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times hilarious, often cringe-inducing if not downright horrifying, this was a fascinating book by a keen observer of the very human element of the Vatican. I appreciate that Thavis, unlike many of his colleagues from secular media organizations, tried to go beyond the sensationalistic storylines and delve into the spiritual significance of Church news -- without betraying his doggedness as a reporter.