Vicars of Christ the Dark Side

This book had me shaking with laughter and trembling with rage--rage at the misdeeds of the papacy, not the book. It brilliantly recounts the endless crimes, hypocrisies, errors, indecencies, murders, debaucheries, illogicalities, idiocies and fanaticisms of the papacy from the "first pope" to the present. It is written in a highly engaging and breezy journalistic style, with more than a dash of humour and wit. For the most part the author lets the deeds (or rather, misdeeds) of the Bishops of Rome speak for themselves, although his own dim view of his subject is abundantly clear throughout. He is himself a former priest (educated at the Gregorian University in Rome) who unfolds the theologial groundlessness of the office of Pope itself, the ethical depravity of a depressingly high percentage of its occupants, the religious zealotry of many Popes, and the laughable absurdity of so many Roman Catholic doctrines such as Papal Infallibility. The overall effect of this is devastating for the Papacy, which emerges from the pages of this book as one fo the most hypocritical, malevolent and unjustifiable institutions in human history--which is saying a great deal. The book is the perfect antidote to the awe in which the office of Pope is held today, and a very welcome reminder of the dark history of a powerful institution built on a mountain of absurdities and atrocities that we all-too-easily forget. De Rosa has done his readers a great service in putting that history into a single volume without mincing his words of pulling his punches. Read it and weep.

Vicars of Christ is a wonderful reading, it brings back to life the crimes of an institution guilty of deeds beyond reproach. Crimes against humanity, some of which faaaaar outshine the Nazi holocaust. I simply cannot see how anyone, but the completely bigoted could condemn this book as a product of a biased mind. For it surely is not such a reading. I am in no way familiar with Mr. Rosa's personal views on various hot secular issues, yet, I think this is of little consequence. If you are a dogmatic catholic, unwilling to look directly at the truth, then surely, this book is not for you. And yes, it's hardly balanced, yet it is the weight needed to balance the scales of the seemingly impeccable face of the Roman Catholic institution. But for those interested in the history of the church, I recommend Vicars of Christ strongly, for it surely is a profound material, which may not present any significant historical secrets to light, but is a wonderful collection of precise research and stern analysis.

I can't remember when I've laughed so much! This book reads like a Stephen King thriller and ought not to be out of print. I used to think that the Borgias represented a low point in the papacy, but they don't come close to the depravity under Sergius III, John XI, John XII and the ambitious Marozia, the time around 904 to 963 AD. Much fun was also had during the great schism and al through the renaissance. It is truly a tale of scandal, intrigue and crime and makes compulsive reading. Contains a useful Chronology, List of Popes with dates, Councils of the church, a very good bibliography (of documents and books) and index. This book contains enough material for more than one TV mini-series.

Peter De Rosa was brought up Catholic, went through the six year seminary course prior to ordination, and graduated from a Catholic university, the Gregorianum in Rome. He dedicated eight pages of bibliography listing authors, titles, and year published. Not to mention the fact that historians such as Edward Gibbon in "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" substantiates the demeanor, to say the least, of the Papacy.De Rosa had done a marvelous job in exposing the "Great Lie", revealing its truths with documented sources some of which are Papal documents themselves which can be found on the Vatican website, if you have a hard time taking his word for it. And if your still not sure that what De Rosa says is true, read Revelation by John the Apostle. Surely John's vision will substantiate all that was done that De Rosa has documented, even if you read the Latin Vulgate version. There's no hiding the truth, Vicars of Christ is De Rosa's testimony of the truth, another witness, another Martin Luther another Wycliffe, another man that had the courage to speak out against the horrid evilness of the extension of the Roman Empire, and its time is short. :)

I found this book excellant in reviewing all aspects of the Papacy. It exposes the history including the good, the bad and the evil, and leaves one realizing that no one is infalible - including the Pope. I have always wondered how some of the doctrines were developed from a historic perspective as many really make no sense (like priests having to be celibant). As such, the truth in this book actually lead me to a more spiritual life.