What do you think?
Rate this book
Rafael, Cardinal Merry del Val
"Give me souls, take away all else." This earnest appeal of Cardinal Merry del Val reveals the secret of his life, the story of his ambitions and joys. As man and prelate, few dignitaries of the Church during the early part of this century have left such an impression of culture, holiness, and statesmanship. Irish and Spanish by blood, English by birth and education, cosmopolitan by office, and Catholic in the deepest and truest sense of the word, his ideal was to be a priest in a poor parish in England but he was launched on a diplomatic career opposed to his tastes, his ideals, and his spiritual interests. In the course of his life he became a close friend of two great Popes, Leo XIII and Pius X, with whom he worked on famous reforms and on crucial modern problems. In the early years of his priesthood, Merry del Val organized a club for boys in Trastevere, a rough quarter in Rome, and even when he was Secretary of State under Pius X, he did not miss a day in a visit to this Association.
308 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
1 person is currently reading
4 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 3, 2021
Quality in his years
The sensitively written biography of one raised to high office in the Roman Catholic church against his natural inclination, yet submitting his prodigious talents to serve God and others. Close to hagiography, and written of its time, this shows a sincerely dedicated churchman immersed in early 20th century religious and political history. Re-reading even after 45 years, and aware of different church contexts, this book still has power to inspire because of the inner spirituality of its protagonist.
The sensitively written biography of one raised to high office in the Roman Catholic church against his natural inclination, yet submitting his prodigious talents to serve God and others. Close to hagiography, and written of its time, this shows a sincerely dedicated churchman immersed in early 20th century religious and political history. Re-reading even after 45 years, and aware of different church contexts, this book still has power to inspire because of the inner spirituality of its protagonist.
March 11, 2022
Reading a book of a holy person who isn’t very well known is always a delight. The book is very detailed and with excerpts from his personal letters among other personal details of his day to day life. The book is alive with Cdl. Merry del Val and I will have to say this has been one of my favorite biographies I’ve read to this point.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews