Ambition and Arrogance: Cardinal William O'Connell of Boston and the American Catholic Church (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"When Lord Acton said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, he had the Church in mind. The story of William O'Connell, Cardinal Archbishop of Boston, is a case study in just how far that corruption can go. Those who are familiar with the scandal he created would not be surprised at more recent scandals. The difference today, one hopes, at least prevents the ambition and arrogance from being buried in secrecy as the story of William O'Connell was."  —Andrew M. Greeley, priest, sociologist, author

"A well-written account of the ambitious rise to power of William Henry Cardinal O'Connell of Boston. The documents used for this story read like a bad script for a soap opera villain, but unfortunately recount the machinations of one of the most powerful churchmen in the history of the United States."  —Gerald P. Fogarty, S.J., professor of religious studies and history at the University of Virginia

"A biography of ideas and ideological struggles. Slawson outlines the history, but what most intrigued me is its account of O’Connell’s role in church politics."  —Commonweal

"Slawson's mining of Vatican sources . . . delineate[s] a depressingly full picture of O'Connell's use of money and playing of the Roman card to win Vatican support."  —The Catholic Historical Review

"Slawson makes extensive use of archival material, is adept at finding confirmatory evidence, and never goes beyond what can be asserted based on the written record. The work is an example of dispassionate scholarship."  —American Catholic Studies

Product Description

Based on a vast array of archival holdings, including the secret archives of the Vatican, this colorful and fascinating story recounts Cardinal William Henry O'Connell's ambitious grasp for power and his arrogant misuse of the trappings of the office. Appointed in 1895 to a minor post in the Catholic church in Rome, Father William O’Connell of Boston built a Vatican power base that made him a bishop, archbishop, and cardinal. His arrogant exploitation of his position drew the wrath of U.S. bishops—who were twice unsuccessful in having him removed from office. Believing that his high position exempted him from the rules of morality, O'Connell was utterly unscrupulous. He discovered multiple ways to turn a profit from his position and by 1923 had amassed a fortune. O’Connell brought further scandal upon his position when he turned a blind eye to the secret marriages of two priests who lived with him, one of them his nephew. When the marriages were discovered, the cardinal brazenly defended his nephew at the expense of the other offender. Had the Cardinal not worn the scarlet that marked him as a prince of the church, he may have gone to the grave a disgraced clergyman. However, his rank, his ability to maintain appearances, and his potent Vatican allies saved him from such a fate. This story serves as a mirror against which to view current affairs in both the Catholic church and the United States.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Cobalt Productions (April 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978785509
• ISBN-13: 978-0978785505
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #457,180 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True picture of Catholic Churh, October 24, 2009

By	T. J. VanEtten (Palm Springs, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Read this! It is a true picture of the Hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. Arrogance, un-ethical behavior etc. runs rampant thru this book and brings us to where we are now....nothing has changed!

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Read, June 4, 2007

By	Sterling Picard - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ambition & Arrogance by Douglas Slawson is an excellent read for anyone interested in the politics of the church. Cardinal O'Connell's impact on the Boston church and beyond is exacting and thoroughly documented. Slawson has detailed the life of this rogue with utmost fairness. This book is a "must read" or history will repeat itself.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This Book: A real hack job, October 5, 2008

By	Joseph M. Hennessey (Weston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was one of the worst biographies I have ever read. It basically comes across that, before he wrote it, Slawson had decided that O'Connell was a bad man (ambitious and arrogant, both of which O'C. was), and then back-filled the bio with 'evidence' to prove his point.

The book is loaded with weasel words like "seems", there were "suspicions," someone "alleged etc." It is full of guilt-by-association illogic and simplistic bad guys/good guys mentality, good guys=O'Connell's opponents, bad guys=O'Connell and his allies.

Slawson seemed disappointed that all the bad stuff was within the first 10 years or so of O'Connell's regime, and that the last 30 were relatively peaceful and unremarkable. Slawson shows his ideological hand by backing the Modernists, whom we call liberals today, those who would relativize the truth of orthodoxy.

In addition, Slawson cites James O'Toole's Militant and Triumphant on virtually every other page, for good reason: it was a much better, original book. I think this author was just trying to capitalize on the recent clerical sexual abuse scandal.

William Cardinal O'Connell was no warm and fuzzy teddy bear; far from it. But Slawson has done the impossible: after reading this assasination, one almost feels sorry for the old curmudgeon.