Parallel Empires : The Vatican and the United States - Two Centuries of Alliance and Conflict

Franco, Massimo

ISBN 10: 0385518935 / ISBN 13: 9780385518932

Published by Crown Publishing Group, The, 2009

Former library copy. Pages intact with possible writing/highlighting. Binding strong with minor wear. Dust jackets/supplements may not be included. Includes library markings. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good. Seller Inventory # GRP76637543

Synopsis:

The fascinating and highly relevant history of the turbulent relationship between the United States and the Holy See, recounted and analyzed by Italian journalist and Vatican insider Massimo Franco

Drawing on unique access to the archives of the Holy See and a range of sources both in Washington, D.C. and Rome, Parallel Empires charts the path of U.S.-Vatican relations to reveal the dramatic religious and political tensions that have shaped their dealings and our world.
Starting with the Holy See’s initial diplomatic overtures to the United States in the 1780’s, Franco illuminates a two-hundred-year-old history of alliances, mutual exploitation, and misperceptions. From the nativist anti-Catholicism of the nineteenth century, through JFK’s election as America’s first Catholic president and the cold war anti-Communist partnership between the United States and the Holy See, to the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1984, the story has never before been told quite like this. With U.S.-Vatican affairs still evolving in the present day, Parallel Empires also details the most recent developments of this ever-changing and often-tenuous relationship, including contemporary disagreements over the Iraq War and engagement with the Islamic world, and the Papacy of Benedict XVI.
Parallel Empires leaves no doubt regarding the impact that the struggle between these two great powers—one of secular might and the other of moral influence—has had on both our history and on today’s world. Franco’s insights are sure to have lasting relevance as U.S.-Vatican relations continue to evolve, and with religion’s undeniable influence on everything from domestic elections to international terrorism, his work will prove invaluable in coming years.

About the Author:

MASSIMO FRANCO writes a daily column for Corriere della Sera, Italy’s leading newspaper. He has been a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, and is a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, England. Translator ROLAND FLAMINI, reported from Rome for Time magazine in the 1980’s, with a focus on the Vatican.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Parallel Empires : The Vatican and the ...
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group, The
Publication Date: 2009
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good