THE VATICAN

Its Organization, Customs and Way of Life""- so the sub-title reads and this defines the scope of this analysis of the Vatican, in the larger sense, by a French newspaperman assigned bo the Vatican. He explores successive phases of the hierarchy, from the Pope down to the monastic orders, in their relation to the Vatican. Procedures, techniques, and the theories and traditions that control and prescribe them; the inter-linking of the different gradations of the Church,- the Paper, the Cardinals, etc.; the function of the Curia, of the Holy See, the Penitentiary, the State Secretariat -- all these come under his observation, and some of the factors involved (an example ""the cost of receiving the hat"") are handled more openly than the careful cloaking of facts from the laity usually permits. The attitude of the Vatican towards the Eastern Church is carefully presented; some of the conclusions may be challenged. Enough of historical backdrop, enough of contemporary color and drama and form, give the whole a readability that is, perhaps, not what a wholly popular market would demand, but that is good middle of the road Journalism for the largely Catholic market. A brief section on Catholic Action sparks the interest but leaves many questions still open.