"Understanding The Vatican,The Holy See and The Pope"

Recognized as a maven when it comes to the intricacies of the workings of the Vatican, John A. Allen, Jr., Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter, has written an excellent reference text that will go a long way in helping us to be better informed about its thoughts, how it reacts and why, and its perspective of the world. Due to the complexity of the subject matter, Allen, in order to lay a solid foundation for what ensues, appropriately begins All the Pope's Men: The Inside Story Of How The Vatican Really Works with an introductory chapter entitled Vatican 101. Readers are quickly informed that although the media interchangeably use the terms Vatican, the Holy See and the Roman Curia as if they were one and the same, in fact, such is not the case, as they are quite distinct from one another.

Many of us are unaware that the Holy See is an institution rather than a person and it is the proper term to use for designating the authority of the papacy to govern the Church. It is the central government of the Roman Catholic Church. More precisely, it is the Holy See that governs the Catholic Church on behalf of the Pope, not the Vatican. The Vatican refers to the 108-acre physical territory in Rome. The Pope, through the Holy See, is the supreme governor of Vatican City. On the other hand, it is through the Roman Curia that the Pope administers the Holy See and carries out his function both as supreme governor of the Catholic Church and as sovereign diplomatic actor.

Understanding these basic terms is essential in understanding the remaining chapters of the book, where the author delves into such topics as five myths pertaining to the Vatican, its Psychology, Sociology and Theology, and finally concluding with two very important and well researched chapters that are constantly in the news today, the American sexual abuse crisis and the war in Iraq. What is noteworthy and extremely helpful in understanding the position of the principal actors pertaining to these two latter important events is the author's presentation of a chronological review of events involving the exchanges between the United States and the Holy See.

Some of the myths that are exposed are quite intriguing. Did you know that there is no such thing as "the Vatican?" As the author points out, "there is no "the Vatican" in the sense that most English-speaking journalists, commentators, and activists use the phrase." It is not a living creature or organism. It is rather a bureaucracy "staffed by human beings, each of whom has his or her own wants, fears, intentions, visions, hopes, and dreams." Other myths examined are: who's in charge, Vatican secrecy, Vatican wealth, and climbing the career ladder.

It should be noted that from the very onset the author tries to maintain complete impartiality and to a very large degree has succeeded admirably. The author refrains from offering his own personal opinions as to whether a particular Vatican document or policy choice is right or wrong, good or bad, successful or not. The primary objective, and one that has been successfully demonstrated, is the presentation to the readers of the Vatican's rationale pertaining to various actions or inactions. If you agree or disagree with this rationale is left to the reader to decide. However, based on Allen's exposé, perhaps you will arrive at a better understanding as to why decisions are made in one way or another. Lets not forget, Roman Catholicism is a world -wide communion of 1 billion people, representing every culture, language, and worldview on earth. It is little wonder that every decision must take into account this enormous divergence.

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookpleasures
Posted June 27, 2004