Vatican spies : from the Second World War to Pope Francis /
Denoel, Yvonnick,
Vatican spies : from the Second World War to Pope Francis / - vi, 488 pages ; 24 cm
First published in French as "Les espions du Vatican : de la Seconde Guerre mondiale a nos jours" by Nouveau Monde editions, 2021.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 437-454) and index.
Introduction: The spies who didn't exist -- PACELLI -- A crisis pope -- Facing the Nazis: Double play and false pretences, 1940-1943 -- Under German occupation, 1943-1944 -- Rome: Open city, 1944-1947 -- No holds barred, 1949-1958 -- RONCALLI -- Detente -- MONTINI -- Paul VI's torments -- The Vatican moles -- Octopus Dei -- The monsignor's explosives -- Setting the cat among the pigeons -- The puppet master -- The IOR changes horses -- Paul VI's last sorrow -- WOJTYA -- The Pope who shouldn't have died -- Wojtya, the special operations pope -- The theology of the gun -- A trip to Poland -- Three shots in Saint Peter's Square -- Death of a banker -- Polish crusade -- New challenges -- Marcinkus goes ... the corruption stays -- Murders in the Vatican -- Twilight wanderings -- RATZINGER AND BERGOGLIO -- The impossible inheritance -- The infernal machine -- Barack and Francis -- China: The other Church of silence -- A story without end -- Conclusion.
"An astonishing history of the priests and missionaries whose 'special ops' serve the Holy See and 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. 'Officially' the Vatican has no espionage service; but does no one carry out intelligence operations on its behalf? During the Second World War and Cold War, Rome was teeming with spies. A band of undercover monsignors and priests hunted for Vatican 'moles', led clandestine diplomacy, investigated assassinations of priests and other scandals threatening the Church, and conducted high-risk missions behind the Iron Curtain. Drawing on freshly released archives of foreign services that worked with or against the Holy See, Vatican Spies reveals eighty years of shadow wars and dirty tricks. These include infiltrating Russian-speaking priests into the Soviet Union; secret negotiations between John XXIII and Khrushchev; the future Paul VI's close relationship with the CIA; the Vatican's infiltration by Eastern Bloc intelligence; the battles between the Jesuits and Opus Dei; and the secret bank funds channelled first to fight communism in South America, then to support Solidarity in Poland. This entertaining book journeys right to the present, uncovering startling machinations under Benedict XVI and, today, Pope Francis"--Publisher's description.
Translated from the French.
1911723405 9781911723400
Spies--Vatican City.
Espionage--History--Vatican City--20th century.
Espionage--History--Vatican City--21st century.
Intelligence service--History--Vatican City--20th century.
Intelligence service--History--Vatican City--21st century.
UB271.V3 / D4613 2024
327.120945634
Vatican spies : from the Second World War to Pope Francis / - vi, 488 pages ; 24 cm
First published in French as "Les espions du Vatican : de la Seconde Guerre mondiale a nos jours" by Nouveau Monde editions, 2021.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 437-454) and index.
Introduction: The spies who didn't exist -- PACELLI -- A crisis pope -- Facing the Nazis: Double play and false pretences, 1940-1943 -- Under German occupation, 1943-1944 -- Rome: Open city, 1944-1947 -- No holds barred, 1949-1958 -- RONCALLI -- Detente -- MONTINI -- Paul VI's torments -- The Vatican moles -- Octopus Dei -- The monsignor's explosives -- Setting the cat among the pigeons -- The puppet master -- The IOR changes horses -- Paul VI's last sorrow -- WOJTYA -- The Pope who shouldn't have died -- Wojtya, the special operations pope -- The theology of the gun -- A trip to Poland -- Three shots in Saint Peter's Square -- Death of a banker -- Polish crusade -- New challenges -- Marcinkus goes ... the corruption stays -- Murders in the Vatican -- Twilight wanderings -- RATZINGER AND BERGOGLIO -- The impossible inheritance -- The infernal machine -- Barack and Francis -- China: The other Church of silence -- A story without end -- Conclusion.
"An astonishing history of the priests and missionaries whose 'special ops' serve the Holy See and 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide. 'Officially' the Vatican has no espionage service; but does no one carry out intelligence operations on its behalf? During the Second World War and Cold War, Rome was teeming with spies. A band of undercover monsignors and priests hunted for Vatican 'moles', led clandestine diplomacy, investigated assassinations of priests and other scandals threatening the Church, and conducted high-risk missions behind the Iron Curtain. Drawing on freshly released archives of foreign services that worked with or against the Holy See, Vatican Spies reveals eighty years of shadow wars and dirty tricks. These include infiltrating Russian-speaking priests into the Soviet Union; secret negotiations between John XXIII and Khrushchev; the future Paul VI's close relationship with the CIA; the Vatican's infiltration by Eastern Bloc intelligence; the battles between the Jesuits and Opus Dei; and the secret bank funds channelled first to fight communism in South America, then to support Solidarity in Poland. This entertaining book journeys right to the present, uncovering startling machinations under Benedict XVI and, today, Pope Francis"--Publisher's description.
Translated from the French.
1911723405 9781911723400
Spies--Vatican City.
Espionage--History--Vatican City--20th century.
Espionage--History--Vatican City--21st century.
Intelligence service--History--Vatican City--20th century.
Intelligence service--History--Vatican City--21st century.
UB271.V3 / D4613 2024
327.120945634