{"product_id":"9781805266914","title":"Vatican Spies","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA \u003cem\u003eForeign Affairs\u003c\/em\u003e 'Book of the Year' and an \u003cem\u003eIndependent\u003c\/em\u003e 'Book of the Month' \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn astonishing history of the priests and missionaries whose 'special ops' serve the Holy See and 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUpdated paperback edition includes new material on the papacy of Pope Leo XIV.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e'Officially' the Vatican has no espionage service; but does no one carry out intelligence operations on its behalf? During the Second World War and Cold War, Rome was teeming with spies. A band of undercover monsignors and priests hunted for Vatican 'moles', led clandestine diplomacy, investigated assassinations of priests and other scandals threatening the Church, and conducted high-risk missions behind the Iron Curtain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on freshly released archives of foreign services that worked with or against the Holy See, \u003cem\u003eVatican Spies\u003c\/em\u003e reveals eighty years of shadow wars and dirty tricks. These include infiltrating Russian-speaking priests into the Soviet Union; secret negotiations between John XXIII and Khrushchev; the future Paul VI's close relationship with the CIA; the Vatican's infiltration by Eastern Bloc intelligence; the battles between the Jesuits and Opus Dei; and the secret bank funds channelled first to fight communism in South America, then to support Solidarity in Poland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis entertaining book journeys right to the present, uncovering startling machinations under Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hurst \u0026#38; Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57522046828917,"sku":"9781805266914","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0289\/5334\/6096\/files\/9781805266914.jpg?v=1787662703","url":"https:\/\/goldenharebooks.com\/products\/9781805266914","provider":"Golden Hare Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}