The Hidden Saint: The 16th Century Church in Crisis

by Julian Bauer

The Hidden Saint tells the story of Saint Carlo Borromeo during the tumultuous decades after the Protestant Reformation. The release of this book is timely as we prepare for the 500th anniversary of this world-changing event. In 16th century Europe, the Catholic Church is in danger of losing its authority over the faith of Christians while at the same time defending itself from Ottoman attack and the spread of Islam. In the Americas encomendaros also challenge the authority of the Church by enslaving the native population despite the threat of excommunication. But the challenges aren’t just external. Immoral priests, greedy bishops, and family feuds distract the mission of the Church and threaten to undo its very establishment.

One man, Carlo Borromeo, begins to stitch back together the frayed pieces of an unraveling Church by finalizing and implementing the decrees at the Council of Trent under the leadership of his uncle, Pope Pius IV. This is the story of an unassuming boy from an influential family in Milan, who calls to task immoral behavior in the Catholic Church and is one day named a saint.

The Hidden Saint is the author’s third novel covering a period in the Church’s history when its very existence was in danger: in the first century (Eugenios: Servant of Kings), in the third century (The Scholar’s Challenge), and in the sixteenth century (The Hidden Saint). He has written two other books: a historical novel revealing the importance of Mustafa Kemal Attaturk (Ibrahim, the Turk), and contemporary novellas (The Lawyer’s Relic and A Grandfather’s Dilemma).

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2017

About the author

Julian Bauer was born in Chicago, but lived most of his life in Maryland. He was an executive in the Federal Government, owned his own world-wide touring business, served as President of the American Volkssport Association and Liaison to the International Federation of Popular Sports, and acted as the 2nd Vice Commander of the Catholic War Veterans of the United States. He attended Florida State, Baylor, Illinois, DePaul, Northwestern, George Washington Graduate School of Finance, Maryland School of Law. He has been married for 63 years to Carmen Espinosa. Author of six published books, he also published four YouTube slide shows on Faith and Reason.