Item: The Vatican Diaries
Rating: 5.00
Author: eclecticreading

by John Thavis

The Vatican Diaries is an inside look at one of the world's most powerful and mysterious institutions, by John Thavis.

'A humane and realistic and (yes) humorous picture of a mortal institution. To an old Prot like me, it's a tour of alien terrain and a bridge to old and dear friends' Garrison Keillor

For thirty years John Thavis worked for the Catholic News Service in Rome and reported on the inner workings of the Vatican. The Vatican Diaries is his insightful and often very funny account of exactly what goes on in this unique and secretive institution. It's a place where cardinals fight private wars, scandals are constantly threatening to undermine papal authority, and reverence for the past comes up painfully against the considerations of modern life.

He describes the politics surrounding the election of a new pope and the beatification of an old one, the angst of dealing with the international issue of sexual abuse, the intricacies of arranging a Papal visit to India, the conflicts involved in trying to build a car park over an ancient Roman burial site - and above all the unfathomable personality of the conservative Pope Benedict XVI, the first pope to resign for 600 years. At this extraordinary moment of crisis in the Church, Thavis's account of its inner workings is invaluable.

'One closes John Thavis' perceptive study reflecting on the Vatican's challenge: to persist in a secularizing world sometimes fascinated by the pomp and pageantry of St. Peter's-but often hostile or increasingly indifferent to the Church's determined mission to harmonize warring factions and bickering enemies, even if both are on the same Catholic side' New York Journal of Books

John Thavis recently retired as the prizewinning chief of the Rome bureau of Catholic News Service, where he had covered the Vatican since 1983. He is the past president of the International Association of Journalists Accredited to the Vatican, and in 2007 the Catholic Press Association awarded him the Saint Francis de Sales Award, the highest honour given by the Catholic press. He divides his time between Minnesota and Rome.

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/2013/03/13/review-the-vatican-diaries/

The Vatican Diaries

by John Thavis

Reviewed by Lianne on Mar 13, 2013

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