A lavish guided tour of the Vatican

by Gunther Simmermacher · June 13, 2014

THE VATICAN: Secrets and Treasures of the Holy City, by Fr Michael Collins. Penguin/Dorling Kindersley (2014). 320pp.

Reviewed by Gunther Simmermacher

The Vatican always fascinates, more so since the election of a pope whose popularity extends beyond the Catholic Church, and the recent canonisation of two popes. The Vatican is also not well understood, even among most Catholics. So this revised and updated edition of a volume first published in 2008 is timely and welcome.

Fr Michael Collins The Vatican: Secrets and Treasures of the Holy City tells much of its story through pictures. These are almost invariably well chosen and of the highest standard. From its lavish cover to the multitude of photos by my estimate close to 2,000 this is a magnificently curated book.

Its primary appeal is as a picture book the kind for which coffee tables were invented but it would be unjust to neglect the text by Fr Collins, an Irish-born Church historian, who tells the story of the Vatican from several angles.

A 39-page overview of the Church’s history and the most significant popes through the ages and here one may argue about certain inclusions or omissions, and about emphases sets the scene for Fr Collins guided tour of the Vatican and Rome, with makes excursions to places of papal import, such as Viterbo and Castel Gandolfo.

Fr Collins guides the reader through the Vatican Museums, the apostolic palace, the Vatican gardens and the basilica of St John Lateran, the popes cathedral as bishop of Rome. He explains in broad strokes their history, significance, architecture and art of these places. He also includes some Roman sites of Christian interest, such as the Castel Sant’Angelo, a second-century pagan mausoleum which became a papal fortress.

Fr Collins gives insight into the daily routine of the pope and introduces those who aid the pontiff in his ministry, outlines the mechanisms of a conclave, explains the structure and role of the Roman curia, and even describes how priests are trained and how saints are recognised.

The text is lean and uncomplicated. It gives sufficiently complete information without engaging in too much detail. Fr Collins, who as former protocol advisor to St John Paul II is a Vatican insider, presents an intricate structure with simplicity, but never patronises the reader.

A few elucidations are, however, a little peculiar. Discussing the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, which deals with missionary territories, Fr Collins writes that it is responsible for territories such as New Zealand. This is not incorrect, of course, but the good people of the congregation spend a lot more time on issues concerning Africa and Asia than they would on our antipodean friends.

If Fr Collins has any particular opinions on the Roman curia, he does not share them in this book. It is not that kind of book. But after going through this volume, one might well benefit from reading a book such as John Thavis outstanding The Vatican Diaries (2013, reviewed here).

An expansive section of The Vatican explores the lives of 12 people who work in the Vatican. These include Pope Francis, a curial prefect, a papal sacristan, a choir boy, assorted artisans and art experts, a papal photographer, and a Swiss Guard. All but one of the featured people are male and the solitary woman is a nun. Surely Fr Collins could have located a lay woman somewhere; several of them work at Vatican Radio.

A book like this will obviously appeal to readers who have been to Rome. They will be delighted to revisit familiar places and see those they had no opportunity to see. It also serves as a fine tour guide to those who havent been to the Eternal City, and it is superb preparation material for those who are planning a visit.

The book includes a glossary and index, so it serves as a very useful reference work. Selling in South Africa at around R300, this book is a fine investment.