From the Bookshelf of DePaul University Libraries…

[close] The Vatican has dominated many headlines over the last nine months beginning with the Vatileaks scandal in the summer of 2012, followed by the virtually unprecedented retirement of Pope Benedict in early 2013, to the election of his successor, Pope Francis. The DePaul Library has a rich collection of books about the papacy and the Vatican. Profiled below are three relatively recent additions to the Richardson Library collection.

The culture ofThe Vatican Diaries the Vatican is often characterized as hierarchical and secretive--qualities that make it challenging to accurately understand the activities of this centuries-old organization. Fortunately, one of the members of the vaticinista (the Vatican press corps) has written a timely book that breaks down several barriers. John Thavis has covered the Vatican for three decades as a reporter for Catholic News Service. He wrote this book not as an exposé, but to humanize this formidable institution with stories about the people who work at the Vatican (yes, some of these people are popes, but not all). As the Catholic Church begins a new papacy, The Vatican Diaries will provide newly found insight into the news coming out of Rome. (John T. Richardson Library, Call Number: 262.136 T368V)

--Sue S.

(Originally posted in the DePaul University Library "The Full Text" blog: http://bit.ly/16FahIq)