The Global Vatican

An Inside Look at the Catholic Church, World Politics, and the Extraordinary Relationship between the United States and the Holy See, with a New Afterword on Pope Francis

By (author) Francis Rooney Foreword by John Negroponte

Not available to order

Publication date:

18 August 2015

Length of book:

332 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442248816

From the centuries-long prejudices against Catholics in America, to the efforts of Fascism, Communism and modern terrorist organizations to “break the cross and spill the wine,” this book brings to life the Catholic Church’s role in world history, particularly in the realm of diplomacy. Former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney provides a comprehensive guide to the remarkable path the Vatican has navigated to the present day, and a first-person account of what that path looks and feels like from an American diplomat whose experience lent him the ultimate insider’s perspective. Part memoir, part historical lesson, The Global Vatican captures the braided nature of religious and political power and the complexities, battles, and future prospects for the relationship between the Holy See and the United States as both face challenges old and new. Updated now to include a view towards Pope Francis’ first trip to the United States, The Global Vatican looks forward to the revitalization of the Church in this newest global papacy.

Foreword, by John Negroponte

Prologue: “Introduction to an Education”

Part I: Faith and Revolution

Chapter One: “The Greatest Evils to be Feared”
Chapter Two: “The Last Pope”
Chapter Three: “Return to Rome”

Part II: The Modern World

Chapter Four: “Pio Nono and the Turning Point”
Chapter Five: “The New Concept of Sovereignty”
Chapter Six: “The World at War (Part One)”
Chapter Seven: “The World at War (Part Two)”

Part III: The Cold War

Chapter Eight: “Common Ground”
Chapter Nine: “War and Pacem”
Chapter Ten: “Parallel Interests”

Part IV: Across the Tiber

Chapter Eleven: “Rome”
Chapter Twelve: “New Friends”
Chapter Thirteen: “Meetings of Minds”
Chapter Fourteen: “Regensburg”
Chapter Fifteen: “President and Pope”

Part V: Conclusions

Chapter Sixteen: “Faith and Freedom”
Chapter Seventeen: “The Art of Hope”
Acknowledgements
Notes
Bibliography

Francis Rooney deftly blends history with current events, erudite analysis with warm anecdotes in The Global Vatican. His fascinating book details the incredible history of U.S.-Vatican diplomacy since America’s inception. This book serves as a reminder to the far-reaching influence of two superpowers, the United States and the Vatican. All governments are advised to take into calculation the extraordinary influence of the Vatican at a time when people power compared to state power has achieved new preeminence.