John L. Allen

A fascinating and enlightening look at the worlds' oldest and most mysterious institution is written by an American journalist with unparalleled knowledge about the Vatican's past and present. Balanced and lively and filled with Vatican history and lore, "All the Pope's Men" provides the general reader with an authoritative picture of the highly charged relationship between the Vatican and the American Catholic Church.Doubleday

Opus Dei is one of the most talked about but least known religious organizations of our time. For years no one has been allowed access to its secrets. Until now. Here, Vatican insider John Allen uncovers its true nature. Granted unlimited access to those within its ranks, gaining a wealth of interviews with the heads of Opus Dei around the world, Allen finally separates the myths from the facts: the actual use of whips and the cilice; the true extent of Opus Dei's funds; the identities of its influential members in politics, banking and high office; and how much power this shadowy group really has. Definitive, persuasive and absorbing' - Daily Telegraph. Focuses on some of the most controversial aspects of the organization, from its treatment of women to its recruitment and its money' - Independent. He reports on all aspects of the Opus Dei cult (including structure and finance, and the practice of mortifying the flesh with a cilice) and, most usefully, includes details of the bishops and personnel around the world who are Opus Dei clergy'

The first serious journalistic investigation of the highly secretive, controversial organization Opus Dei provides unique insight about the wild rumors surrounding it and discloses its significant influence in the Vatican and on the politics of the Catholic Church.Opus Dei (literally the work of God) is an international association of Catholics often labeled as conservative who seek personal Christian perfection and strive to implement Christian ideals in their jobs and in society as a whole. Founded in Spain in 1928, it now has 84,000 members (1,600 of whom are priests) in eighty countries. But far from running bingo nights at local parishes, Opus Dei has become a center of controversy and suspicion both within and outside the Church. It has been accused of promoting a right-wing political agenda and of cultlike practices, aggressive recruiting, brainwashing new recruits, and isolating members from their families. Its notoriety escalated with the publication of the runaway bestseller The Da Vinci Code (Opus Dei plays an important and sinister role in the novel) and with the previous popes much-debated canonization of its founder (often linked with Francisco Francos facist regime) and the discovery that convicted FBI spy Robert Hanson was a member of Opus Dei.With the expert eye of a longtime trusted observer of the Vatican and the skill of an investigative reporter intent on uncovering closely guarded secrets, John Allen finally separates the myths from the facts in Opus Dei. Granted unlimited access to the prelate who heads the organization and to Opus Dei centers throughout the world, Allen draws on a wealth of interviews with current members, as well as with highly critical ex-members, to create an unprecedented portrait of the activities, practices, and intentions behind its veil of secrecy. Allen reveals the remarkable power that Opus Dei commands in shaping Vatican policy and presents a detailed look at the full extent of its network, which includes people in key positions in politics, banking, academia, and other influential arenas. He even describes the arcane ritualsincluding self-flagellationperformed to preserve and promote a spiritual tradition strange and unsettling to modern sensibilities.For years, Opus Dei has been the subject of conspiracy theories and dark, uninformed speculation. Opus Dei sets the record straight.

El Opus Dei está rodeado de una aura de misterio y secretismo. Tras la publicación de El Código da Vinci se reavivó el interés universal por conocer sus secretos.John L. Allen es el vaticanista más prestigioso del mundo. Tambien el se sintio atraido por el misterio del Opus Dei y quiso saber que se ocultaba tras la fachada de esta prelatura personal. Allen ha conseguido que le abran todas las puertas de la organizacion. Para escribir este libro ha viajado a ocho paises, realizado mas de trescientas horas de entrevistas a miembros y detractores del Opus Dei e incluso ha vivido cinco dias siguiendo sus reglas en una de sus residencias para comprender que se siente al ser uno de sus miembros.El Opus Dei no ha censurado o alterado el contenido de esta obra. Lo que el lector tiene en sus manos es, simplemente, toda la verdad.

El cardenal Dolan es una de las figuras más singulares de la Iglesia de nuestros días. Arzobispo de Nueva York, Presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos, miembro del Consejo Pontificio para la Promocion de la Nueva Evangelizacion y una de las figuras prominentes en los dias previos al ultimo conclave que eligio al Papa Francisco. En este libro comparte con los lectores su vision mas personal sobre el presente y el futuro de la Iglesia en una serie de conversaciones intimas con el afamado periodista John Allen, permitiendonos asi conocer de primera mano quien es y que piensa Timothy Dolan.El cardenal Dolan es una de las figuras más singulares de la Iglesia de nuestros días. Arzobispo de Nueva York, Presidente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Estados Unidos, miembro del Consejo Pontificio para la Promocion de la Nueva Evangelizacion y una de las figuras prominentes en los dias previos al ultimo conclave que eligio al Papa Francisco. En este libro comparte con los lectores su vision mas personal sobre el presente y el futuro de la Iglesia en una serie de conversaciones intimas con el afamado periodista John Allen, permitiendonos asi conocer de primera mano quien es y que piensa Timothy Dolan.Al hilo de las preguntas de John Allen, el arzobispo de Nueva York reflexiona sobre los temas candentes...

El autor de este libro, un periodista norteamericano, ha condensado en diez breve capítulos el pensamiento del papa Ratzinger sobre los fundamentos de la fe cristiana, una fe que sigue siendo totalmente valida para los hombres y mujeres de nuestro tiempo. No se trata de un conjunto de normas, sino de un si rotundo a la dignidad del ser humano y la firme conviccion de que Dios nos ama sin medida. En definitiva, que la nuestra es una religion del amor y para el amor.