In the Courts of Three Popes - by Mary Ann Glendon (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A rare firsthand account of Vatican politics as Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis each endeavored to lead the Catholic Church into the modern world-from an accomplished diplomat, lawyer, and Harvard professor. "In my years of service to the Holy See, I was a stranger in a rather strange land-a layperson in a culture dominated by clergy, an American woman in an environment that was largely male and Italian, and a citizen of a constitutional republic in one of the world's last absolute monarchies." Harvard professor Mary Ann Glendon sheds light on some of the most vexing issues in the Catholic Church today, from the work to protect women's rights internationally, to responding to clergy sexual abuse, to the corruption of the Vatican Bank and Roman Curia. Readers will see a side of popes and prelates rarely seen from Glendon's account of these three papacies, and they will be inspired by her efforts to share in the Holy See's work for a better Church and a better world. It is her hope that lay Catholics especially will find her account of the ups and downs of her daily work in the Holy See helpful in their own struggles to be "salt, light and leaven" during this time of turbulence in the Church and society"--

Book Synopsis

A rare firsthand account of the three popes who worked to modernize the Catholic Church--and to evangelize the modern world--from a renowned international lawyer, Harvard law professor, and former ambassador to the Vatican

"Mary Ann Glendon's book joyfully, and with humility, brings us inside her deft, grace-filled, and brilliant public diplomacy career."--Mike Pompeo, former U.S. secretary of state

For twenty centuries, the Catholic Church has radically shaped world history--and survived it. In the decades following the Second Vatican Council, three popes have carried forward this legacy, striving to lead the Church and its governing body--the last absolute monarchy of the West--into the modern world.

With In the Courts of Three Popes, accomplished diplomat, international lawyer, and Harvard professor Mary Ann Glendon gives readers a rare inside look at the papacies of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. She shares her role in key developments in the Church's recent history, like the Church entering the third millennium, in Pope John Paul II's words, on its knees in penance for failures such as clergy sex abuse, or in leading the way for lay women to hold positions of power in the Church. Glendon illuminates the issues vexing the Church today: the place of faith in secular politics, relating the Church to other religions, clericalism and the power of laypeople, and corruption at the Vatican Bank and within the Roman Curia.

Glendon provides a one-of-a-kind analysis of the inner workings of the Holy See, showing readers that, despite its many failings, the Catholic Church is a living, breathing community. Behind the Church's doctrines and policies and institutions lie people, personalities, aspirations, and relationships that still promise to transform lives.

Review Quotes

"Mary Ann Glendon's book joyfully, and with humility, brings us inside her deft, grace-filled, and brilliant public diplomacy career. Few lay Catholics have done more to use the tools of public diplomacy to improve our nation and God's kingdom. This book is a beautiful primer for all entering the arena with the goal of faithfully serving, as Glendon has done for decades."--Mike Pompeo, former U.S. secretary of state

"Very often we think of diplomacy and the Vatican as secretive and mysterious. Not anymore! Ambassador Glendon explains a lot in this illuminative and enjoyable book. She makes us all 'insiders.'"--Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of New York

"A beautifully written account of one woman's experience that helps us understand Rome's strange machinery of governance . . . But this book is more than a study of the West's last absolute monarchy. Glendon casts fresh light on the many joys and frustrations of the Catholic experience since the Second Vatican Council."--R. R. Reno, editor of First Things

"In the Courts of Three Popes will inspire, encourage, and motivate readers to follow Glendon's example of dedicated service to faith and country."--Callista L. Gingrich, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See

"The kind of memoir one simply can't put down: a candid, detailed, absorbing, and finally reassuring portrait of leadership at the highest Church levels that could only be told by a veteran Vatican observer and adviser . . . It's worth every moment spent reading and sharing it."--Francis X. Maier, senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of True Confessions: Voices of Faith from a Life in the Church

"This book is a must read and offers an indispensable moral compass for the faithful and the skeptic alike."--Ruth Okediji, Jeremiah Smith Professor of Law, Harvard University

"In this engaging and beautifully written memoir, Mary Ann Glendon displays the wisdom, humaneness, and grace that have characterized every aspect of her exemplary life. an inspiration for people of all faiths who seek to uphold and serve what is highest in a demoralized world."-- Leon R. Kass, Dean of the Faculty, Shalem College, Jerusalem

"In this masterful volume, Glendon recounts, with characteristic honesty and humility, her twenty-four years of service to the Catholic Church. Her storytelling style makes this book impossible to put down."--Bill Donohue, President, Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

"How did one woman--an American at that--three times rise to the highest levels of responsibility in the Vatican--a bastion of male religious princes? Mary Ann Glendon's story of how this happened is both a fascinating and factual tale animated with her experiences in the academy, and the relevance of her own faith to her storied career. It is a must read for Vaticanistas. It is an enjoyable, educative read for everyone else--Catholic and Non-Catholic alike."--Jim Nicholson, former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See and author of The United States and the Holy See: The Long Road

About the Author

Mary Ann Glendon is Learned Hand Professor of Law emerita at Harvard University and a former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. In 1995, she led the Vatican delegation to the UN's World Conference on Women in Beijing, becoming the first woman ever to lead a Vatican delegation. Her books include Rights Talk; A Nation Under Lawyers; The Transformation of Family Law; A World Made New: Eleanor Roosevelt and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and The Forum and the Tower. She lives in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.