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The Dictator Pope
The Inside Story of the Francis Papacy
Could Pope Francis be the most tyrannical and unprincipled pontiff in modern times? Yes, says Church historian Marcantonio Colonna, in his controversial yet judicious new book, The Dictator Pope.
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope in 2013 as a liberal and a reformer. In fact, he was neither—except by coincidence. Though he was not well-known within the College of Cardinals that elected him, close observers in his native land already recognized him to be a manipulative politician, skilled at self-promotion, and a disciple of the populist dictator Juan Perón.
Behind the mask of a genial man of the people is a pope, the author says, who cares shockingly little about theology or the liturgy but is obsessed with his own power. Allying himself with the most corrupt elements in the Vatican, Francis rules by fear. He has obstructed or reversed the very reforms that were expected of him and attempted to alter Catholic teaching by subterfuge. In The Dictator Pope you will learn:
Why the head of Francis’s own religious order thought he should not be made a bishop
Why Francis may have diverted Church funds to support Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign
How true Church reformers have been punished by the Pope and his allies
How Francis himself has mused that he might be the cause of a schism in the Church
Why clerics in the Vatican have gone from dismissing Francis as a “clown” to fearing him as a dictator
Could Pope Francis be the most tyrannical and unprincipled pontiff in modern times? Yes, says Church historian Marcantonio Colonna, in his controversial yet judicious new book, The Dictator Pope.
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope in 2013 as a liberal and a reformer. In fact, he was neither—except by coincidence. Though he was not well-known within the College of Cardinals that elected him, close observers in his native land already recognized him to be a manipulative politician, skilled at self-promotion, and a disciple of the populist dictator Juan Perón.
Behind the mask of a genial man of the people is a pope, the author says, who cares shockingly little about theology or the liturgy but is obsessed with his own power. Allying himself with the most corrupt elements in the Vatican, Francis rules by fear. He has obstructed or reversed the very reforms that were expected of him and attempted to alter Catholic teaching by subterfuge. In The Dictator Pope you will learn:
Why the head of Francis’s own religious order thought he should not be made a bishop
Why Francis may have diverted Church funds to support Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign
How true Church reformers have been punished by the Pope and his allies
How Francis himself has mused that he might be the cause of a schism in the Church
Why clerics in the Vatican have gone from dismissing Francis as a “clown” to fearing him as a dictator
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2018
250 people are currently reading
334 people want to read
About the author
Marcantonio Colonna
2 books5 followersMarcantonio Colonna is the pen name of H. J. A. Sire, an author and historian. Sire was born in 1949 in Barcelona to a family of French ancestry. He was educated in England at the Jesuits' centuries-old Stonyhurst College and at Exeter College, Oxford, where he gained an honors degree in Modern History. He is the author of six books on Catholic history and biography, including one on the famous English Jesuit, writer, and philosopher Father Martin D'Arcy, SJ.
The Dictator Pope is the fruit of Henry Sire's four-year residence in Rome from 2013 to 2017. During that time he became personally acquainted with many figures in the Vatican, including Cardinals and Curial officials, together with journalists specializing in Vatican affairs.
The Dictator Pope is the fruit of Henry Sire's four-year residence in Rome from 2013 to 2017. During that time he became personally acquainted with many figures in the Vatican, including Cardinals and Curial officials, together with journalists specializing in Vatican affairs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
December 16, 2017
I dismissed this book the first time I saw it, thinking it would be biased and slanderous. Reading Mark Lambert's article, titled "Far from Gossip, 'The Dictator Pope' is 'Absolutely Reliable'" changed my mind.
Though this book contains one unfortunate fact after another, and though it brought me to my knees on several occasions, I am reminded that the Church has survived "challenging pontificates" in the past and will continue to do so until the Lord's glorious and triumphant return.
Though this book contains one unfortunate fact after another, and though it brought me to my knees on several occasions, I am reminded that the Church has survived "challenging pontificates" in the past and will continue to do so until the Lord's glorious and triumphant return.
January 8, 2018
How can I say this is a 'good' book? It is a sad book. I believe it, for the most part, to be truthful. While reading it I thanked God for all the holy and saintly popes I have had in my lifetime of 63 years. I guess we were due for a more 'human' and political pope. With this it will be interesting to watch how the Holy Spirit watches over and protects the heart and truth of this one, holy, and apostolic church that the gates of hell will not prevail over it.
December 23, 2017
On my God help us!
Could Pope Francis be the Anti Christ! As a 74 old practicing Catholic I am sickened by what I head in in this book. And for the National Register and others not report what going on in the Vatican is a disservice to the church . Read and see what I am talking about. All had been verified by the author.
Could Pope Francis be the Anti Christ! As a 74 old practicing Catholic I am sickened by what I head in in this book. And for the National Register and others not report what going on in the Vatican is a disservice to the church . Read and see what I am talking about. All had been verified by the author.
February 8, 2018
The author's name, "Marcantonio Colonna", is a pseudonym. Having finished the book, particularly the stunning accounts of Francis' vindictiveness and the fate of those who have crossed him -- it occurs to me that the author was wise to write under a pseudonym. (According to the LifeSite news exclusive interview, the real Marcantonio Colonna was born in 1535, an Italian aristocrat who served as a Viceroy of Sicily, best remembered for his service as admiral of the papal fleet in the Battle of Lepanto). The author writes with the stated intent of "[exposing] the myth of the supposedly liberal Pope who was elected in 2013 and to urge the cardinals at the next Conclave to avoid electing an unknown figure who turns out to be quite different from what he had been thought."
Why the title? -- according to the author, who has researched Bergoglio's past, "Bergoglio is ... very much the product of the peculiar political culture of Argentina, formed by the populist dictator Juan Perón, of whom Bergoglio was a follower from his early years, and whom he very much resembles in his style of government." Cultivating (with the help of the media) an image of mercy, kindness and openness, Francis in private reveals himself to be rather the opposite:
Bad papist that I am, I admit to having not kept up with the latest news of Francis' pontificate over the past several years -- between the frequent denunciations of the "trads" and the repetitive -- or should I say interpretive -- apologetics of the pro-Francis contingent (ex. "he may have said X, but what he REALLY meant was X"), following along got so tiring after a while. That being said, The Dictator Pope offers a remarkable opportunity for everybody who has kept their head in the sand to acquaint themselves with all the major issues and scandals that has rocked the pontificate. Philip Lawler -- whose journalistic work I'm familiar with -- attests to the accuracy of the author's reporting, "he clearly knows his way around the Vatican, and has excellent sources inside the Roman Curia"; likewise Robert Royal acknowledges in his review: "It sometimes stretches evidence, but the sheer amount of evidence it provides is stunning. About 90 percent of it is simply incontrovertible, and cannot help but clarify who Francis is and what he’s about."
Even if you exclude from consideration the author's conspiratorial portrayal of the "St. Gallen Group" -- a conspiracy of bishops who identified and lobbied for Bergoglio as candidate to push reforms in opposition to the pontificate of Ratzinger -- or the shocking (but as yet undocumented) claim that "Peter's Pence" were diverted to fund Hillary Clinton's electoral campaign, there are enough publically known and footnoted points of concern here that would alarm all but the most furvent Francis-apologists.
Beyond the accounts of financial corruption at the highest levels; the papal manipulations of the Bishop's Synod and tolerance (even promotion) of permissive interpretations of Amoris Laetitita; the liberalized "reform" of the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family; the papal repression of a Franciscan religious order after it expressed its wish to celebrate mass under the old rite (or "Extraordinary Form") -- I would have to say the most disappointing, upsetting subject was Francis' deficient response to the crisis of sexual abuse within the Catholic church.
According to the author, the CDF under Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was the first to take the crisis seriously, adopting a hardline response and imposing a policy of "zero tolerance":
Appallingly, Benedict's "this reform of accountability appears to have evaporated with Benedict’s resignation":
Returning to the general topic of the Francis pontificate, I found this book a rewarding, disturbing-if-not-particularly-surprising, read. Two other critical books are slated to come out this year, Phillip Lawler's Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading His Flock (February 2018) and Ross Douthat's To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism (March 2018). I'll be curious to see how this measures up to them.
Why the title? -- according to the author, who has researched Bergoglio's past, "Bergoglio is ... very much the product of the peculiar political culture of Argentina, formed by the populist dictator Juan Perón, of whom Bergoglio was a follower from his early years, and whom he very much resembles in his style of government." Cultivating (with the help of the media) an image of mercy, kindness and openness, Francis in private reveals himself to be rather the opposite:
[Francis] had long been known in his native Argentina as a manipulative politician and a skilful self-presenter. Behind the mask of a genial man of the people, Pope Francis has consolidated his position as a dictator who rules by fear and has allied himself with the most corrupt elements in the Vatican to prevent and reverse the reforms that were expected of him.
Bad papist that I am, I admit to having not kept up with the latest news of Francis' pontificate over the past several years -- between the frequent denunciations of the "trads" and the repetitive -- or should I say interpretive -- apologetics of the pro-Francis contingent (ex. "he may have said X, but what he REALLY meant was X"), following along got so tiring after a while. That being said, The Dictator Pope offers a remarkable opportunity for everybody who has kept their head in the sand to acquaint themselves with all the major issues and scandals that has rocked the pontificate. Philip Lawler -- whose journalistic work I'm familiar with -- attests to the accuracy of the author's reporting, "he clearly knows his way around the Vatican, and has excellent sources inside the Roman Curia"; likewise Robert Royal acknowledges in his review: "It sometimes stretches evidence, but the sheer amount of evidence it provides is stunning. About 90 percent of it is simply incontrovertible, and cannot help but clarify who Francis is and what he’s about."
Even if you exclude from consideration the author's conspiratorial portrayal of the "St. Gallen Group" -- a conspiracy of bishops who identified and lobbied for Bergoglio as candidate to push reforms in opposition to the pontificate of Ratzinger -- or the shocking (but as yet undocumented) claim that "Peter's Pence" were diverted to fund Hillary Clinton's electoral campaign, there are enough publically known and footnoted points of concern here that would alarm all but the most furvent Francis-apologists.
Beyond the accounts of financial corruption at the highest levels; the papal manipulations of the Bishop's Synod and tolerance (even promotion) of permissive interpretations of Amoris Laetitita; the liberalized "reform" of the John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family; the papal repression of a Franciscan religious order after it expressed its wish to celebrate mass under the old rite (or "Extraordinary Form") -- I would have to say the most disappointing, upsetting subject was Francis' deficient response to the crisis of sexual abuse within the Catholic church.
According to the author, the CDF under Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger was the first to take the crisis seriously, adopting a hardline response and imposing a policy of "zero tolerance":
"According to data presented by the CDF to the UN Human Rights Commission in January 2014, Benedict XVI had defrocked or suspended more than 800 priests for past sexual abuse between 2009 and 2012. In 2011, the CDF sent a letter to the world’s bishops’ conferences, asking them to adopt stringent guidelines on how to respond to allegations that were to include assistance to victims, protection of minors, education of future priests and religious, and collaboration with civil authorities. The guidelines required bishops to forward all new cases to civil authorities and to the CDF. In a March 2010 pastoral letter to Ireland’s Catholics, Benedict criticised the lax application of the Church’s laws by bishops, whose failures had “seriously undermined your credibility and effectiveness.” He noted a “misguided tendency” against applying canonical punishments that he said was due to “misinterpretations of the Second Vatican Council.”(On this topic, see also: Pope Benedict XVI and the Sexual Abuse Crisis: Working for Reform and Renewal Our Sunday Visitor, 2010).
Appallingly, Benedict's "this reform of accountability appears to have evaporated with Benedict’s resignation":
... in the name of his favourite theme, “mercy,” Francis decisively broke with the Ratzinger/Benedict programme of reform, reducing the penalty for priest abusers to “a lifetime of prayer” and restrictions on celebrating Mass. In February 2017 it was revealed that Francis had “quietly reduced sanctions against a handful of paedophile priests, applying his vision of a merciful church even to its worst offenders.The author cites Associated Press’s Nicole Winfield's article, "Pope quietly trims sanctions for sex abusers seeking mercy", noting that Francis has "surrounded himself with cardinal advisers who botched handling abuse cases in their archdioceses." Moreover,
... Francis scrapped the [sexual abuse advisory] commission’s proposed tribunal for bishops who botch abuse cases following legal objections from the congregation. The commission’s other major initiative — a guideline template to help dioceses develop policies to fight abuse and safeguard children — is gathering dust. The Vatican never sent the template to bishops’ conferences, as the commission had sought, or even linked it to its main abuse-resource website.(It's also worth noting that, post-publication of The Dictator Pope, this topic has resurfaced this past week with yet another instance of Francis' inattention and disregard to the gravity of the issue, failing to either read or act on an eight page letter from a victim detailing his abuse and a diocese' inaction).
Returning to the general topic of the Francis pontificate, I found this book a rewarding, disturbing-if-not-particularly-surprising, read. Two other critical books are slated to come out this year, Phillip Lawler's Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading His Flock (February 2018) and Ross Douthat's To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism (March 2018). I'll be curious to see how this measures up to them.
January 17, 2018
Disaster
His modernist agenda has been exposed, this book puts it in black and white and is a must read for every concerned Catholic.
His modernist agenda has been exposed, this book puts it in black and white and is a must read for every concerned Catholic.
May 4, 2018
I highly recommend this book, especially to my fellow Catholics. It exposes the utter corruption of the Vatican hierarchy and a feckless dangerous Pope and his questionable progress from ordination to the present. It demonstrates the epitome of Gresham’s Law regarding morals and money of the charlatans in the Vatican who disgrace the Catholic Church. This is compounded by the hierarchy around the world who can not be ignorant of the situation in Rome and do not raise an outcry against it. Particularly guilty are the Cardinals who elected this travesty to the Papacy. How far into the universal church does this corruption descend? A good question to those Catholics petitioned to Peter’s Pence donations that are not accounted for. This expose also raises the question of the need for the Papacy and the beaurocracy of the Vatican other than as an historical museum of artwork and antiquities. What is the job description of the Pope? It should be limited to the preservation of Christian, Catholic doctrine. The Pope is not a qualified “ruler” of the monolithic Catholic universe. Most Popes are not even qualified managers as demonstrated by the current poser. As an 85 year old catholic, my sympathy goes out to the many religious around the world who labor selflessly day in and day out practicing their religion while the Vatican reeks. It is way past time for an assessment of the Catholic Church. Who will begin?
October 19, 2019
My wife is a Catholic. I used to jest and tease her for the abominable cases of child sex abuses committed by some past and present priests. Jokes apart, the Catholic Church has child sex abuse problem. And in the public eye, the Vatican was more or less an enabler. Enter Pope Francis.
I love Pope Francis. Unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis was not dismissive of the scandals in the Catholic Church. He's portrayed as a liberal and moderate and moderniser. He was implementing reforms to ensure accountability. Or so it seems.
As an admirer of Pope Francis, this book troubles me. I could not sleep well after reading this book. Some of the details are not only unsavoury but heartbreaking. So many facts and inside information about Pope Francis, his pontifical style that is acutely harrowing. The book paints a Pope that's manipulative, vindictive, divisive, and corrupt. Behind closed doors, Pope Francis is a tyrant. Pope Francis's Vatican is probably one of the most corrupt places in the world.
I am tempted to dismiss this book as a cynical character assassination. But on second thought, it can't be all hogwash. The research is detailed, the author is a respected Church historian.
No matter what, anything Pope Francis would be taken with a grain of salt.
I love Pope Francis. Unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis was not dismissive of the scandals in the Catholic Church. He's portrayed as a liberal and moderate and moderniser. He was implementing reforms to ensure accountability. Or so it seems.
As an admirer of Pope Francis, this book troubles me. I could not sleep well after reading this book. Some of the details are not only unsavoury but heartbreaking. So many facts and inside information about Pope Francis, his pontifical style that is acutely harrowing. The book paints a Pope that's manipulative, vindictive, divisive, and corrupt. Behind closed doors, Pope Francis is a tyrant. Pope Francis's Vatican is probably one of the most corrupt places in the world.
I am tempted to dismiss this book as a cynical character assassination. But on second thought, it can't be all hogwash. The research is detailed, the author is a respected Church historian.
No matter what, anything Pope Francis would be taken with a grain of salt.
March 14, 2018
My confusion about Pope Francis has cleared up after having reading this book.
September 1, 2020
Despite the inflammatory title, this book does a fantastic job explaining Pope Francis' history of growing up in a Perón led Argentina. It explains the political ideology that formed him and explains much of the confusion he has caused. The author also lays out the corruption in many of the Bishops in the Vatican. I highly recommend this book. Let us pray for Pope Francis and all those who lead the Church.
April 22, 2018
This is a far from perfect book, contains no groundbreaking information on the current Holy Father, and would seem to overreach on certain points, but it is a decent summary of many of the things about Papa Bergoglio that have given, and continue to give, many Catholics of all stripes some pause.
UPDATE: I have much more esteem for this book now after reading the book on the Pope by Ross Douthat. Colonna, or rather H.J.A. Sire, has done a far job in describing, ideologically and psychologically, what makes the Holy Father tick. Douthat's book, on the other hand, makes zero reference to Peronism, which I am convinced is the key to understanding the mind of Jorge Bergoglio.
UPDATE: I have much more esteem for this book now after reading the book on the Pope by Ross Douthat. Colonna, or rather H.J.A. Sire, has done a far job in describing, ideologically and psychologically, what makes the Holy Father tick. Douthat's book, on the other hand, makes zero reference to Peronism, which I am convinced is the key to understanding the mind of Jorge Bergoglio.
October 1, 2018
This book is far from a screeching character assassination. It is also not good bedtime reading, unless George Orwell relaxes you and you fall asleep listening to the soothing tones of a high speed train wreck. But you will close this book with a better understanding of Pope Francis than when you opened it. Many of the things that have left me scratching my head in recent months make perfect, clear sense now. I saw the McCarrick Scandal foreshadowed in practically every chapter. Very sobering and nicely documented.
December 20, 2017
This is a great work for understanding some of the corruption surrounding the Vatican. It's very current and describes scandals extending into 2017. Essentially, Pope Francis places too much trust in the more liberal clergy, even though these same people are rather unsavory. Not all liberal clergy, mind you, but the ones with Pope Francis' ear.
August 25, 2018
The truth can set one free ,if he knows it's the truth!
Each ,time I read more i was offering prayer for mercy and conversion .For courage fortitude ,for the white martyrs of persrcution..
Each ,time I read more i was offering prayer for mercy and conversion .For courage fortitude ,for the white martyrs of persrcution..
August 27, 2018
The intrigues of the Bergoglio Papacy are laid out quite well here in this book by English historian Henry Sire and what is revealed behind the public mask of humility is the quite thuggish behind closed doors reality of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Sire writes from a conservative Catholic view and that should be kept in mind.
Sire's claim that Bergoglio is a Papal equivelent of Juan Perón, is, I think, a little unfair to Perón who was by any measure a very skilled and successful political operator and this claim may reflect an English conservative bias. Unlike Perón who was able to bring together his Argentine compatriots from different political fields behind him during the Cold War, Bergoglio is the most hated Pope by Catholics of modern times (though loved by liberals). Perón was a uniter, Bergoglio a divider.
Bergoglio can only be understood for what he is; a rather low intelligence former bouncer from Buenos Aires, who came to power almost by accident as the front man for far more cunning and intelligent Western European (Germanic) liberal clerics who had been pushing their agenda for some time, namely: Cardinal Danneels and Cardinal Kasper. This coupled with a slick "liberal" Jesuit PR campaign is the Bergoglio Papacy.
For those of us who are not religious (or at least have woken up to Christianity) but like to keep an eye on what the Vatican is doing, there are a few things missing here. Bergoglio's coup against the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is mentioned and the controversy over his German proxies supporting contraception is discussed. However, it doesn't mention that the Bergoglian-controlled Knights are now implicated in bringing thousands of Africans and Muslims into Europe in "rescue operations" in the Med via the Malteser International. Just like the Jesuit Refugee Service.
As if aiding and abetting clerical sex abuse of children wasn't bad enough, giving away their birth right is just the icing on the cake. Sire should perhaps cover this in future editions. For those of us who have come to reject Christianity in total, Bergoglio's reign may just be the thing that brings down or permanently discredits the Church. The association of priest and treason could
even awaken the ghost of Giuseppe Mazzini.
Sire's claim that Bergoglio is a Papal equivelent of Juan Perón, is, I think, a little unfair to Perón who was by any measure a very skilled and successful political operator and this claim may reflect an English conservative bias. Unlike Perón who was able to bring together his Argentine compatriots from different political fields behind him during the Cold War, Bergoglio is the most hated Pope by Catholics of modern times (though loved by liberals). Perón was a uniter, Bergoglio a divider.
Bergoglio can only be understood for what he is; a rather low intelligence former bouncer from Buenos Aires, who came to power almost by accident as the front man for far more cunning and intelligent Western European (Germanic) liberal clerics who had been pushing their agenda for some time, namely: Cardinal Danneels and Cardinal Kasper. This coupled with a slick "liberal" Jesuit PR campaign is the Bergoglio Papacy.
For those of us who are not religious (or at least have woken up to Christianity) but like to keep an eye on what the Vatican is doing, there are a few things missing here. Bergoglio's coup against the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is mentioned and the controversy over his German proxies supporting contraception is discussed. However, it doesn't mention that the Bergoglian-controlled Knights are now implicated in bringing thousands of Africans and Muslims into Europe in "rescue operations" in the Med via the Malteser International. Just like the Jesuit Refugee Service.
As if aiding and abetting clerical sex abuse of children wasn't bad enough, giving away their birth right is just the icing on the cake. Sire should perhaps cover this in future editions. For those of us who have come to reject Christianity in total, Bergoglio's reign may just be the thing that brings down or permanently discredits the Church. The association of priest and treason could
even awaken the ghost of Giuseppe Mazzini.
December 28, 2018
A particularly damning book from a conservative Roman Catholic scholar (Henry Sire under the pen name Marcantonio Colonna).
Pope Francis is depicted as, behind closed doors, a dictator more interested in power than religion and quite prepared to use it 'to do down' those perceived as his enemies. A man not interested in tackling the moral and financial problems of the Vatican and Roman Catholic church: one for whom'zero tolerance' is a slogan to appease critics rather than a policy to be enforced.
Pope Benedict XVI comes out as someone who tried to tackle the mess but was just too old to prosecute the struggle.
It's worth reading at 232 pages. One will better understand the convulsions presently under way in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and, probably, other countries in the future.
If this book is even half right I think future historians of the Church of Rome will say summarize the main problem of the last 3 papal reigns as: John Paul II reigned too long, Benedict XVI reigned too short and Francis reigned at all.
Quite an indictment, indeed.
Pope Francis is depicted as, behind closed doors, a dictator more interested in power than religion and quite prepared to use it 'to do down' those perceived as his enemies. A man not interested in tackling the moral and financial problems of the Vatican and Roman Catholic church: one for whom'zero tolerance' is a slogan to appease critics rather than a policy to be enforced.
Pope Benedict XVI comes out as someone who tried to tackle the mess but was just too old to prosecute the struggle.
It's worth reading at 232 pages. One will better understand the convulsions presently under way in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and, probably, other countries in the future.
If this book is even half right I think future historians of the Church of Rome will say summarize the main problem of the last 3 papal reigns as: John Paul II reigned too long, Benedict XVI reigned too short and Francis reigned at all.
Quite an indictment, indeed.
January 5, 2018
Where there's smoke there's fire
This is an important book for those Catholics, or not, that are surprised by a book with this title referring to none other then Pope Francis.
How can this be? A Pope that has been portrait in the main stream media as noting but a great spiritual leader and reformer?
If your trust in the track record of the traditional media ability to guive us unbious reports of people and events has not been shaken in the last while then this book is not for you, it will read as some crazy rant by someone set in doing a character assassination.
For all others this will shed more light in the relegious and moral corruption that has taken hold of the Vatican for the last 60 years and that the last 4 years under Francis has done nothing to stop it and may even have taken it to the a breaking point.
This book is very well researched and it will, at the least, give you reasons to pause and look at things in a different way.
This is an important book for those Catholics, or not, that are surprised by a book with this title referring to none other then Pope Francis.
How can this be? A Pope that has been portrait in the main stream media as noting but a great spiritual leader and reformer?
If your trust in the track record of the traditional media ability to guive us unbious reports of people and events has not been shaken in the last while then this book is not for you, it will read as some crazy rant by someone set in doing a character assassination.
For all others this will shed more light in the relegious and moral corruption that has taken hold of the Vatican for the last 60 years and that the last 4 years under Francis has done nothing to stop it and may even have taken it to the a breaking point.
This book is very well researched and it will, at the least, give you reasons to pause and look at things in a different way.
June 26, 2019
Lots of inside info and facts about the current Pope, his supporters, his background in Argentina, his election, his pontifical style. The book delves into an account about this very divisive and politically manipulative pope with surprising, sometimes shocking, details. For someone who emphasized his transparency and mercy, there are lots of secrets with this pope and his inner circle. The book goes into the confusion and chaos created and encouraged under Pope Francis, the scandals (financial and homosexual) and his harsh treatment of critics. A fascinating read.
May 11, 2025
Sad
2nd reading, still sad -- but also despicable.
2nd reading, still sad -- but also despicable.
November 21, 2020
I’m giving this book a three, not because it was bad but because since it is obviously written by someone deeply opposed to the current pope and I have no way to know whether it is a true portrayal of this past or character. However the corruption in the Vatican is not originated by him so the book is interesting for the window into what goes on and the factions fighting to get their own way. Anyone interested in the catholic church should read it. A catholic priest once told me “the nicest guy never gets to the top and that includes the pope” and this book can probably be summarised by that.
This book was included free with Amazon Audible.
This book was included free with Amazon Audible.
July 10, 2021
Terrible!!!!
Constant complaining and base assessment of the Business of the Church from attacks on individuals to the election of the pope reminding me of the constant attacks of the DemoRats against the Republicans.
No holes barred discussion of molestation of boys to gay solicitation to stealing of funds to support luxurious life styles and how no one ever does anything about it.
UGH !
Constant complaining and base assessment of the Business of the Church from attacks on individuals to the election of the pope reminding me of the constant attacks of the DemoRats against the Republicans.
No holes barred discussion of molestation of boys to gay solicitation to stealing of funds to support luxurious life styles and how no one ever does anything about it.
UGH !
April 28, 2025
You guys should really focus less on who the pope is or what direction mass is facing and more on stopping the pedophilia
( not exaggerating - every 2 pages there’s a mention of a priest molesting boys 🤢) and maybe work on the the drug orgy parties and the money laundering thing 😀
( not exaggerating - every 2 pages there’s a mention of a priest molesting boys 🤢) and maybe work on the the drug orgy parties and the money laundering thing 😀
February 20, 2025
At times inaccessible to a Protestant (I'm not the target audience 😅), this exposé certainly changes one's view of this "meek and mild" pope.
August 16, 2019
Appears the College of Cardinals did not really know who they were getting in pope Francis. Data presented him as a ruthless politician who is prone to fits of anger to anyone who opposes his views and rids himself of any real or imagined foes. He appears to be quite weak on theology and disinterested in church traditions. He is quite willing to mess it up on the topics of abortion, homosexuality and divorce with traditionalists. Quite the Peronist political student keen on projecting an image of someone he is not.
June 23, 2018
eye-opening.
December 15, 2017
Really need to know this!
If only that this information will inspire you to pray more for Holy Mother Church and her priests, bishops and pope,you need to read this book. Things are beginning to change and you need to understand why.
If only that this information will inspire you to pray more for Holy Mother Church and her priests, bishops and pope,you need to read this book. Things are beginning to change and you need to understand why.
October 11, 2018
A little time has really vindicated and confirmed what Henry Sire (the author's real name) has written here. The contents of the book are by and large a presentation of facts, not simply rhetoric. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2019
It all makes sense...A definitive account on PF
September 17, 2018
It took a while for this book to get to me, and it was one I was eagerly waiting for. For odd reasons I do not entirely understand, I frequently engage in social media conversations with traditionalist Catholics whose political and moral worldview is very similar to my own, and within that community this book is a vitally important one as it demonstrates the disconnect between the contemporary Catholic hierarchy and the ordinary and decent body of Catholics that exists in the United States and other places. And, as someone who reads and comments on matters relating to Catholicism as part of my general religious beat as a writer, this book is obviously one of considerable personal importance to review [1]. A reader should know going into this, though, that this book is one of those pieces of political literature that leaves a lot of people looking very bad and that probably encourages even more cynicism than would already exist concerning the structural and leadership problems of the contemporary Papacy going back to the "reforms" of Pope Paul in the aftermath of Vatican II.
At about two hundred pages before its endnotes, this book is a quick but powerful read as the author is clearly well-informed about the background of Pope Francis and the Peronist roots of his protean political worldview and dictatorial behavior. The book consists of six chapters that detail the context as well as the behavior of the current papacy, beginning with a look at the justly maligned St. Gallen Mafia (1) of leftist European bishops who were influential in politicking for Francis in the aftermath of the resignation of Pope Benedict over his inability to enforce clerical and moral discipline on the wayward curia. The second chapter looks at the context of Francis' own rise through first the Jesuit and then the regular hierarchy and the various enemies he made along the way (2). The third chapter looks at the absence of reform from Francis' papacy given the expectations that were raised about this at the beginning of his reign (3). The author then turns to the crookedness of the path that Francis has taken and his generally deceptive and secretive ways (4). The author then discusses the abuse of mercy in refusing to seriously punish abusive and grossly immoral and corrupt priests and bishops who happen to be potential political allies (5) before closing with a discussion of the Pope's desire to control the curia through living close to them rather than being isolated in the Vatican (6).
What are the takeaways from this book? For one, understanding Francis' dictatorial ways requires a look at his own personal context as a Peronist, as well as his lifelong tendency to surround himself with mediocre talent whose moral failings make them possible to blackmail and coerce into following his will. In reading a book like this, one can see the great disconnect that exists between pious (or impious) ordinary Catholics and an unwieldy and immensely corrupt Catholic hierarchy under a great deal of pressure to tolerate gross corruption and immorality, including the attempt to use Catholic tithes and offerings to sway politics in favor of "progressive" candidates in elections. Whether one is an insider to the Catholic world or an outsider, one can have a great deal of empathy for Catholics while maintaining a great deal of hostility towards the contemporary papacy, and it is probably wise to do so at present. The author does not whitewash Benedict or John Paul II, but does indicate that they are to be praised for at least trying to fight against the corruption within the bishops and archbishops and cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, however difficult and unsuccessful that struggle to toe moral and doctrinal lines has turned out to be.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
At about two hundred pages before its endnotes, this book is a quick but powerful read as the author is clearly well-informed about the background of Pope Francis and the Peronist roots of his protean political worldview and dictatorial behavior. The book consists of six chapters that detail the context as well as the behavior of the current papacy, beginning with a look at the justly maligned St. Gallen Mafia (1) of leftist European bishops who were influential in politicking for Francis in the aftermath of the resignation of Pope Benedict over his inability to enforce clerical and moral discipline on the wayward curia. The second chapter looks at the context of Francis' own rise through first the Jesuit and then the regular hierarchy and the various enemies he made along the way (2). The third chapter looks at the absence of reform from Francis' papacy given the expectations that were raised about this at the beginning of his reign (3). The author then turns to the crookedness of the path that Francis has taken and his generally deceptive and secretive ways (4). The author then discusses the abuse of mercy in refusing to seriously punish abusive and grossly immoral and corrupt priests and bishops who happen to be potential political allies (5) before closing with a discussion of the Pope's desire to control the curia through living close to them rather than being isolated in the Vatican (6).
What are the takeaways from this book? For one, understanding Francis' dictatorial ways requires a look at his own personal context as a Peronist, as well as his lifelong tendency to surround himself with mediocre talent whose moral failings make them possible to blackmail and coerce into following his will. In reading a book like this, one can see the great disconnect that exists between pious (or impious) ordinary Catholics and an unwieldy and immensely corrupt Catholic hierarchy under a great deal of pressure to tolerate gross corruption and immorality, including the attempt to use Catholic tithes and offerings to sway politics in favor of "progressive" candidates in elections. Whether one is an insider to the Catholic world or an outsider, one can have a great deal of empathy for Catholics while maintaining a great deal of hostility towards the contemporary papacy, and it is probably wise to do so at present. The author does not whitewash Benedict or John Paul II, but does indicate that they are to be praised for at least trying to fight against the corruption within the bishops and archbishops and cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church, however difficult and unsuccessful that struggle to toe moral and doctrinal lines has turned out to be.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2018...
June 29, 2023
In ancient times, this book may have been called prophetic. In the reformation it would have been called heretical. In modern times we might call it polemic. Whatever you call it, this book states, with much evidence, the tragic state of the Catholic Church. I’m reminded of the words of Samuel when Israel called for a king, “He (Samuel) said, ‘These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day’” (1 Samuel 8:11-18). This is the result of the bishop of Rome trying to act like a king.
Francis and those around him have forgotten that the bishop (overseer) must be “above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:2-7).
Christ warned his church that there were wolves in sheep’s clothing, and Peter, the first Pope, reminded his people that the church needs to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The Church universal is not above saving, nor is it above the restorative act of the Spirit. Perhaps the Catholic Church should turn the pages of history back a few centuries and keep in mind the slogan of the Reformers who actually reformed the church: ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda.
I say this out of love for the whole church of God, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, not to gain points or favor in any camp. The world is watching the bride of Christ, and we should always be “the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 ESV).
I’ll end with the closing prayer of the Great Litany found in the Book of Common Prayer, “We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and, for the glory of thy Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honor and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (155).
Francis and those around him have forgotten that the bishop (overseer) must be “above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:2-7).
Christ warned his church that there were wolves in sheep’s clothing, and Peter, the first Pope, reminded his people that the church needs to “be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
The Church universal is not above saving, nor is it above the restorative act of the Spirit. Perhaps the Catholic Church should turn the pages of history back a few centuries and keep in mind the slogan of the Reformers who actually reformed the church: ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda.
I say this out of love for the whole church of God, Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, not to gain points or favor in any camp. The world is watching the bride of Christ, and we should always be “the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 ESV).
I’ll end with the closing prayer of the Great Litany found in the Book of Common Prayer, “We humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and, for the glory of thy Name, turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved; and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honor and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” (155).
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