Vatican Spies: From the Second World War to Pope Francis

An extraordinary and at times overwhelming amount of detail is packed into this enthralling history of espionage and intrigue surrounding the papacy since the start of World War II. Because of the unique position of the pope, a cleric with his own tiny state and significant global influence, the book is also a chronicle of contemporary international affairs. Denoël begins with the papacy’s role in the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, including in helping Jews escape persecution and, later, in helping leading Nazis escape prosecution. During the Cold War, the church pitted itself against Soviet atheism; the Polish pope John Paul II, for instance, worked to undermine communist rule in Poland. Today, the Vatican negotiates with the Chinese leadership to protect the rights of the many Catholics in China. The book’s cast of characters is immense, including spies and informers, dubious bankers, Mafiosos, terrorists, radical priests who support the poor, and conservatives who back right-wing dictators. The reader skips through murders, kidnappings, shady dealings, conspiracies, scandals—and, on occasion, some constructive diplomacy.