ExpositoryJune 28, 2006 8 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is one of the most expository and investigative literature I have read. I appreciate the importance of the information supplied in the text.
Many would say it ridiculed the palpacy and its church. I would say, 'it delved into the evils that exist in the heart of the church.'
I can wait to read about any rival book that will touch the deeply on the goodness that exist in the mind of the church.
Death of a Great ManMay 5, 2006 17 out of 22 found this review helpful
Albino Luciani was elected Pope and chose to be Pope John Paul the First. Not only becoming the first double name in the history, but also appended the first to it. He was known as the "Smiling Pope" and though his reign was the second shortest in history, only 33 days, he was loved the world over. This wonderful Pastor would have taken the Church back to its Gospel roots where it belongs. He was truly a Man of God. And you could see from his 33 days as Pope that he would have been the greatest Pope ever in the eyes the world.
This book builds a very good case showing that Pope John Paul I was murdered, as many has always thought. It also exposes the corruption both within the Vatican and in the Diocese of Chicago during the years covered. All his research show ties between the Vatican, the Mafia and the Freemasons tied to financial corruption. Documented proof is uncovered and other governments have tired to act on them, but they are blocked by the Curia according to the book.
The author actually names those involved in the illegal and immoral acts and their motives and opportunity to have Pope John Paul I killed. It is no coincidence that the Pope was killed the evening before he was going to clean house. Though I was surprised by how obvious the cover-up and lies were. I highly recommend this book.
a comparison of similar booksAugust 6, 2005 29 out of 32 found this review helpful
"In God's Name" gets the prize as the most professionally written book about the mysterious death of John Paul I. Its limitation is that it restricts its investigation to the Great Vatican Bank Scandal - yet, there is much more than just that. Although a work of fiction, Yallop does such a riveting job of telling his tale that one is left with the convinction that everything he has to say actually happened - the mark of a great writer. If one wants the facts about the Great Vatican Bank Scandal turn to "Pontiff' If one wants the most comprehensive published record of all of the known facts surrounding the mysterious death of this good man turn to "Murder in the Vatican" by Lucien Gregoire. The latter is also the only existing biography of this Pope - of his struggles as an impoverished child - as a revolutionary priest as an outspoken bishop - and as a compassionate cardinal. It is written by a man who spent much time with this Pope. If one wants the Vatican's opinion of what happened, John Cornwell's "A Thief in the Night" is the obvious choice. Commissioned by the Vatican it is written by a world-reknown journalist. Regardless, don't pass up "In God's Name."
The strange death of John Paul I.April 11, 2005 23 out of 31 found this review helpful
This is a strange book. The title states a hypothesis that has not been proven. What this book tries to do is prove that Albino Luciano (Pope John Paul I) was murdered. Certainly there are strange happenings between the time of the death and the discovery of the body. The author narrows the field down to six candidates who may have committed this outrage. This book is a conspiracy book. If one were to believe all the material in this book, one might as well believe there was a second gunman on the grassy knoll. Stranger still, three of the possible killers were Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. Possible maybe, probably not. All that being said, the author has shed some valuable light on the inner workings of the Vatican. Corruption certainly exists in the Catholic Church, and the book points that out. I have doubts whether people murdered John Paul I. The book also shows the pious nature of John Paul I. The world certainly lost someone that could have helped mankind. The one aspect this book really nails is the funny circumstances of the death of this holy man. Why embalm a man who just died? Why not do an autopsy? How could a perfectly healthy man just die of heart disease, especially since all signs pointed he did not have heart disease? These things along with the way the Vatican authorities handled these circumstances, points to something different happening to John Paul I. The author cannot prove someone murdered John Paul I, but he certainly proves something was rotten in Vatican City on September 29, 1978. This is an interesting read. The reader should be cautioned that some of this book might not be true. However the author raises good questions about the death of John Paul I.
shocking--the world that might have beenMarch 27, 2005 25 out of 30 found this review helpful
What an incredibly shocking, eye-opening, well-documented, well-written . . . I would say "who-dunit" but we are talking real life about perhaps the most important murder in modern times. How the mafia and their business cohorts -- and a few cardinals thrown in -- killed the real guy, the one who was on the way to bringing real Christianity (not the gold-encrusted, close-minded, anti-female version before and after) to the Vatican -- and to the world. How is such a book out of print? It's a must read.
