by John Thavis
First published 2013
John Thavis spent over two decades covering the Vatican as a journalist, gaining unprecedented access to one of the world's most secretive institutions. Drawing from his quarter-century of reporting, Thavis exposes Vatican City as an organization caught between tradition and modernity, where cardinal infighting creates internal chaos and abuse scandals threaten papal credibility. He chronicles the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that led to Pope Francis's election and analyzes what this papacy might bring. Thavis reveals how the Catholic Church's power center operates when cameras aren't rolling, showing readers the human struggles within an institution trying to maintain relevance in a secular age. The book provides an insider's perspective on Vatican politics and personalities.
Genres: biography, history, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs, church-history, church, catholic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, institutional-critique
Setting: Vatican City
Period: 21st-Century
320 pages · Hardcover · Viking Adult
Content warnings: abuse, sexual-assault