The Global Vatican: An Inside Look at the Catholic Church, World Politics, and the Extraordinary Relationship between the United States and the Holy See
Rooney, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2008, has written a history of U.S.-Vatican diplomacy from the founding of this country to the present day. Given that both the U.S. and the Catholic Church have at their foundations the idea that human beings are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, it may seem odd that full diplomatic relations were first established by President Reagan in 1984. Rooney explains this by recounting the history of both anti-Catholic sentiment in this country and the church’s suspicions about a democracy born of the Enlightenment. More than a mere history, his book includes personal observations. Rooney contends that the U.S. has much to gain from a close diplomatic relationship with the Holy See. As a Catholic, he is clearly sympathetic to the church, but he argues convincingly of its importance on the world stage. Replete with tales of espionage and historical anecdotes, Rooney’s eminently readable work warrants attention. --Christopher McConnell