Parallel Empires

Italian journalist and Vatican insider Massimo Franco draws on unique access to the archives of the Holy See and a range of sources both in Washington, D.C. and Rome to chart the path of U.S.-Vatican relations, revealing the religious and political tensions that have shaped their dealings and our world. Starting with the Holy See's initial diplomatic overtures to the United States in the 1780's, Franco illuminates a 200-year-old history of alliances, mutual exploitation, and misperceptions. From the U.S. nativist anti-Catholicism of the 19th century, through JFK's election as America's first Catholic president and the Cold War anti-Communist partnership between the United States and the Holy See, to the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1984, and up to the papacy of Benedict XVI, the story has never before been told quite like this.--From publisher description.