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canada_matt's review
4.0
In Tobin’s second book of the Holy See Trilogy, he tackles the issue of, or perhaps need for, an Ecumenical Council within the Catholic Church, a mere 40 years after the previous one ended. With a newly elected pope at the helm, prepared to make sweeping changes, Tobin posits that the need for such an event is, at least through the eyes of the pope, an essential move towards clearing up some major issues within the Church. The book, though fictional, allows Tobin to provide his own narrative commentary on the issue of Vatican II and how it tried to modernise the Church, while helping to segregate it into two major camps; the traditionalists and the modernists. By using his flashback sequences, made popular in the first book, Tobin injects some history into the characters without needing to lay out vast amounts of character development, but also not summarising in a single sentence. Tobin also addresses some major issues facing the Church (female priests and celibacy), while drawing a strong fallible side to his characters, both priests and laypeople. Drawing on real happenings and some strong historical writing, Tobin presents this novel as a great follow-up to the initial foray into the backroom politics of the Vatican and the Catholic Church. What comes of these frank and historic discussions may help formulate some strong opinions in the reader’s mind, or simply add to the confusion.
Tobin’s expertise in this area cannot be discounted, nor should his knowledge be held against him. He will, as most with knowledge, steer the story in a direction with which he is comfortable. He has, apparently, dropped the overly formal nature of the story and let language and storylines become more modern and less ‘pure as the driven snow’. Tobin’s desire to re-examine what some will call the most dramatic change in the Church, Vatican II, through another round of Vatican Council meetings can only show that he sees the strong need to address the issues at hand and not sweep them under the table. Slight jabs at John Paul II’s dismissal of female priests and using the ultra right-wing group within the Church as strongest opponents, Tobin lays the groundwork for what could be a great story and an exciting glimpse into the political decision-making process, with all its pomp and circumstance.
If I had to offer some criticism, it would be the brevity with which the entire Council is addressed in the book. I do not doubt, even with technological advances being what they are, that it takes time to bring 4000+ bishops and cardinals to the Vatican for such an event (Tobin’s constant reminder that John XIII took three years to put the first session of Vatican II together), but the entire discussion from the Council seemed anti-climactic and was stuffed into a small portion of the book. I cannot help but wonder if the lead-up, complete with some of the back story, would have been better placed as the second book in the series (complete with the attempts to derail the process) and then used the last to thoroughly address the Council and the thorny issues at hand. Perhaps using a format similar to Conclave, in which the actual event spans most of the book and digresses to offer some excellent character development and historical flashbacks.
I am unsure if, or when, Tobin wishes to pen the last book in the trilogy. Much has happened since this book came out (the actual death of John Paul II, the papacy of Benedict XVI, and the conclave that brought us Francis I) and I am at a loss as to what might be addressed. World Peace? An inter-religion Council of sorts? The merging of Catholics and Protestants? Tobin seems to have been busy with his non-fiction work and perhaps this trilogy is destined to remain unfinished. Some loose ends were tied off at the end of the second book, leaving the reader to wonder if a third is needed, or if the knowledge found therein would make a great novel to address the ever-growing schism in the Church.
Kudos Mr. Tobin. Another enjoyable book that addresses some of the political and policy questions that keep the Vatican moving forward.
Tobin’s expertise in this area cannot be discounted, nor should his knowledge be held against him. He will, as most with knowledge, steer the story in a direction with which he is comfortable. He has, apparently, dropped the overly formal nature of the story and let language and storylines become more modern and less ‘pure as the driven snow’. Tobin’s desire to re-examine what some will call the most dramatic change in the Church, Vatican II, through another round of Vatican Council meetings can only show that he sees the strong need to address the issues at hand and not sweep them under the table. Slight jabs at John Paul II’s dismissal of female priests and using the ultra right-wing group within the Church as strongest opponents, Tobin lays the groundwork for what could be a great story and an exciting glimpse into the political decision-making process, with all its pomp and circumstance.
If I had to offer some criticism, it would be the brevity with which the entire Council is addressed in the book. I do not doubt, even with technological advances being what they are, that it takes time to bring 4000+ bishops and cardinals to the Vatican for such an event (Tobin’s constant reminder that John XIII took three years to put the first session of Vatican II together), but the entire discussion from the Council seemed anti-climactic and was stuffed into a small portion of the book. I cannot help but wonder if the lead-up, complete with some of the back story, would have been better placed as the second book in the series (complete with the attempts to derail the process) and then used the last to thoroughly address the Council and the thorny issues at hand. Perhaps using a format similar to Conclave, in which the actual event spans most of the book and digresses to offer some excellent character development and historical flashbacks.
I am unsure if, or when, Tobin wishes to pen the last book in the trilogy. Much has happened since this book came out (the actual death of John Paul II, the papacy of Benedict XVI, and the conclave that brought us Francis I) and I am at a loss as to what might be addressed. World Peace? An inter-religion Council of sorts? The merging of Catholics and Protestants? Tobin seems to have been busy with his non-fiction work and perhaps this trilogy is destined to remain unfinished. Some loose ends were tied off at the end of the second book, leaving the reader to wonder if a third is needed, or if the knowledge found therein would make a great novel to address the ever-growing schism in the Church.
Kudos Mr. Tobin. Another enjoyable book that addresses some of the political and policy questions that keep the Vatican moving forward.
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