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Review
Not your average Pope-bashing ... the book is deeply offensive --Catholic Herald
Fantastic --National Secular Society
Life has changed. The world has changed. But Angelo remains the same, a dissident who resists the depredations of an increasingly marketized culture. --Tariq Ali
Fantastic --National Secular Society
Life has changed. The world has changed. But Angelo remains the same, a dissident who resists the depredations of an increasingly marketized culture. --Tariq Ali
Product Description
The Pope is Not Gay is an irreverent history of homophobic and sexist obscurantism in the Holy Roman Church and an endoscopic examination of its greatest contemporary advocate, Pope Benedict XVI. In his inimitable style, Angelo Quattrocchi traces the evolution of Joseph Ratzinger s life, beginning with the pope s childhood in Nazi Germany, his membership of the Hitler Youth in Bavaria and his conscription into the German anti-aircraft corps. His has been a startling career, a story that helps explain his development as a reactionary theologian and culminates in his carefully planned election to the papacy in 2005. Quattrocchi contrasts the Pope s doctrinal rigidity on issues such as birth control, abortion, and homosexuality to his extravagant attire and his controversial relationship with his private secretary, Cardinal Georg Gänswein. Rigidity on all fronts.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an extraordinary book. Accessible while revealing the most persuasive and deeply insightful analysis of Pope Benedict. His apparently bizarre and it must be said utterly unacceptible behaviour has new and penetrating light shone on it. I was moved from what was previous contempt to pity for this conflicted and deeply repressed man. To consider the vast emotional energy needed to translate his often cruel and bizarre policies into practice, even into a belief system, must be a kind of living hell. Read and understand.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed this book, it was fun, easy to read and I tend to sypathise with Quattrocchi's political viewpoints, but I would be inclined to have given this a three and a half rating if I could have, because I'm really not sure if the argument is really no more than a print version of sticking two fingers in the air or sticking your toungue at His Holieness, just for the "heck" of it.
The book is really an extended essay, in five parts, with large appendix.
It begins with an introdution to the life of Joseph Ratzinger and mentions his disinclination to talk about his early life and relationships, and describes his rise through the Church hierachy, and somewhat describes his role in the Congregation for the doctrine of faith (CDF), his relationship with John paul II and his irresistable rise to Pope.
The second section describes the (quite scary?) rise of Georg Ganswein through some of the most reactionary sections of the church and German politics, to the CDF, where Ratinger seemed to manoeuver him to his current position as personal secretary.
It is in the latter sections of the book that I have the issue with.Yes it is a very nice idea that this unlikeable little man, with his darkly charismatic assistant, is some kind of ultra repressed homosexual, explaining the vicious backlash againts the small refoms the Church has made since Vatican 2, but really what is the argument based on?
1. The Pope has a penchant for dressing up in flamboyant gaudy attire, unlike the rest of the bishops and cardinals then?
2. He wears red Prada shoes.
3. His somewhat close relationship to Msgr. Ganswein.
Most of this, though seems to just be dragging out steriotypes, the Pope likes to shop and wear pink (rose) vestments, wears nice shoes, silly hats and he likes to keep a good looking, younger man by his side, so he must be gay, not because there is evidence but because the writer thinks so and it would annoy some people. This comes across as a bit lazy, really. You could easily attribute the above characteristics to the Pope being German, but then you would get criticised for racial steriotyping.
So is the book then just a means of insulting the Pope and certain parts of the church? Fans of the Pope will not find any convincing reason to change their minds. The release in the Uk has been to co-incide with the Papal visit for maximum annoyance potential, good some will say, but why then pay extra money for something that you knew already? If you really want to annoy the Pope you can do it for free at the planned protests or spend the money on one of the better researched articles/books about what this man has really done or said.
The book is really an extended essay, in five parts, with large appendix.
It begins with an introdution to the life of Joseph Ratzinger and mentions his disinclination to talk about his early life and relationships, and describes his rise through the Church hierachy, and somewhat describes his role in the Congregation for the doctrine of faith (CDF), his relationship with John paul II and his irresistable rise to Pope.
The second section describes the (quite scary?) rise of Georg Ganswein through some of the most reactionary sections of the church and German politics, to the CDF, where Ratinger seemed to manoeuver him to his current position as personal secretary.
It is in the latter sections of the book that I have the issue with.Yes it is a very nice idea that this unlikeable little man, with his darkly charismatic assistant, is some kind of ultra repressed homosexual, explaining the vicious backlash againts the small refoms the Church has made since Vatican 2, but really what is the argument based on?
1. The Pope has a penchant for dressing up in flamboyant gaudy attire, unlike the rest of the bishops and cardinals then?
2. He wears red Prada shoes.
3. His somewhat close relationship to Msgr. Ganswein.
Most of this, though seems to just be dragging out steriotypes, the Pope likes to shop and wear pink (rose) vestments, wears nice shoes, silly hats and he likes to keep a good looking, younger man by his side, so he must be gay, not because there is evidence but because the writer thinks so and it would annoy some people. This comes across as a bit lazy, really. You could easily attribute the above characteristics to the Pope being German, but then you would get criticised for racial steriotyping.
So is the book then just a means of insulting the Pope and certain parts of the church? Fans of the Pope will not find any convincing reason to change their minds. The release in the Uk has been to co-incide with the Papal visit for maximum annoyance potential, good some will say, but why then pay extra money for something that you knew already? If you really want to annoy the Pope you can do it for free at the planned protests or spend the money on one of the better researched articles/books about what this man has really done or said.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Gay stereotype to bash the Pope - Insulting polemic rubbish
The book is deeply offensive, but not for the reason you might imagine. It has the same tired and predictable Church-bashing and focus on the central conceit - and the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Max Dominic
Ratzy is Rank
I saw an ad for this hilarious book in Private Eye. I instantly put in an order - as the Catholic Church is constantly in the news for inappropriate husbandry of the flock I... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mr Michael K Harvey
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