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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
an extraordinary book about an extraordinary man who had the great courage to do extraordinary things at extraordinary times,
By brent howell (ny) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Murder in the Vatican: Pauper Who Would Be Pope (Paperback)
The only existing biography of Pope John Paul I and despite its title it is much more about this courageous man's life than it is about his mysterious death. The author does do a methodical investigation - in kind of a Hercule Poroit fashion - that proves that this good man was murdered because of his struggle to secure basic human rights for women, homosexuals and the poor. Most remarkable of all, the author explains how it was possible for the very same College of Cardinals to elect an ultra-liberal in the first election of 1978, and just a month later turn around and elect an ultra-conservative.
Loaded with enchanting stories of the Pope's struggle as an impoverished child; as a young revolutionary priest; as an outspoken bishop; and as a compassionate cardinal; the book is a joy to read and escapes being the dry narative that most biographies tend to be. This book is probably best described as one of the first important books of the twenty-first century. I read the book in reaction to playwright Michael Malak's review: "A Conspiracy Buff's Delight!" but found it to be immensely more than just that. I am speaking here of the new edition of 416 pages that has been sold on AMAZON since June 2005. The poorly copy-edited and abreviated 272 page edition which prompted some reviewers to downgrade the book to as little as 3 stars is now available only from discount distributors and the used book market. Buyers should take caution to buy only the 416 page edition. This one has five stars written all over it.
29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Bio on John Paul I and his radically liberal ideas.,
By
This review is from: Murder in the Vatican: Pauper Who Would Be Pope (Paperback)
This remarkable book has two parts. The first is the life of Pope John Paul I, the pope who was the immediate predeccesor to the current pope, who died after only serving as pope for 33 days. The second part concerns the strange circumstances surrounding his death.The author was given access to the pope's many sermons and letter to the Vatican made while he was a priest, a bishop and later a cardinal. The result is that this man, had he had a chance, would have radically transformed the Catholic Church. His overriding wish was to include ALL people into the folds of the church, including all minorities, the disabled, women and gays. He planned to ordain female priests, recognize in some fashion same sex unions, sell off Vatican real estate and art to fund world-wide anti-poverty programs. Based on medieval theology, he wanted to support abortion until the woman is showing, and provide support for unwed mothers. His overall vision was that the church must stop being exlusionist and should be open to new ideas for confronting the ills of the world. Who knew? We are always given the idea that the catholic church has one dogma, unchanging and constant. This book proves that is not true -- that the church debates these issues all the time. The second part concludes that the Pope was murdered before he had any chance of inacting his reforms. The author is not the first to make this conclusion -- other authors have concluded as much. But he is the first to actually finger likely suspects. His meticulous re-enactment of the events and floor plans of that fatal night will leave you shocked. The writing needs to be cleaned up with a good editor, and that is my only reservation. This book is wonderful for any person wondering where the current church has gone wrong, and why, and for anyone dissatisfied with the conservative leanings. It shows that the church is an institution made up of men, not saints, and is prone to politics, just like any other institution.
32 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A mixed bag of good facts and bad presentation,
By D. Smithee "Universal Daddy" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Murder in the Vatican: Pauper Who Would Be Pope (Paperback)
This is the only biographical work about Pope John Paul I that I am aware of. It tells the story of the pontiff who reigned for a mere 34 days before death took him under mysterious circumstances.The book is divided into two parts, the first the story of his life, and the second is the investigation into his death. I found the biographical part far more interesting. Albino Luciani was far more than just a poor man devoted to his church who managed to work his way to the top. The man who would be John Paul I was a man on a mission. His self appointed goal was to get to the top and reform the Catholic Church. Luciani held the rather unique belief that Moses was a bigot and felt that current Christianity relied too heavily on Moses' teachings while ignoring those of Jesus Christ. He was involved in an expedition to Egypt to prove that the Israelites were never there and reveal the Old Testament for what it truly is, a fairy tale. Then Moses' laws commanding the subversion of women, the handicapped, homosexuals, and pretty much anyone who was different could be done away with. John Paul I would never get the chance. He was found dead on the 34th day of his papacy. This is where the second part of the book picks up. Already there were contradictions on how, when and by whom the body was found. Gregoire tries to do an investigation into the death but doesn't get to any satisfying level. There is simply not enough information available to make a reasonable determination as to who committed the deed or even how it was done. He does give a thorough list of who could have committed the murder (including the current pontiff) and what motives he might have had, but lacks the evidence to even point a finger at anyone in particular. The second half of the book is more interesting for its look at the internal Vatican processes, specifically the election of a pope. Gregoire manages to tell his tale in a fairly linear fashion, but the book sorely needed an editor. There are too many spelling and grammatical errors and it interrupts the narrative flow on several occasions. There are several pictures throughout the book, but the reproductions are poor. I would prefer to pay a few extra dollars for a glossy center section with better prints of the photos. If you have more than a passing interest in the subject I recommend this book. Despite its flaws it is an easy and informative read.
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