Title: At Your Fingertips: Volume Two The Triumphs and Intrigues of the Renaissance Popes  Author: Msgr. Laurence J. Spiteri, JCD, PhD  ISBN 10: 0-8189-1306-1  ISBN 13: 978-0-8189-1306-8  Paperback: xvi + 314 pp.  Price: $19.95 + shipping  To Order call:  1 800-343-ALBA (2522)  Please have your Master  or Visa card ready To order online click here.

The Church in the Modern Era has been blessed with many Popes whose private lives have been truly saintly and genuinely inspiring. Unfortunately, this has not been consistently true throughout the two thousand year history of the Catholic Church. This volume details the dark as well as the light sides of the period known as the Renaissance. Most of the Popes during this time were extraordinary men who left their personal mark on the history of the culture of Europe. They were surrounded with magnificent beauty on the outside, though they were often in dire need of cleansing within. They were men who truly belonged to their historical times, most of whom do not stand out as spiritual leaders. They were rulers of the Papal States and religious sovereigns in competition with contemporary civil leaders. They were dedicated to making their beloved Rome not only the center of the Catholic Church but also the center of civilization. In doing so, the Church paid a heavy spiritual price whose results are still felt today. This book presents the reader with a taste of the historical setting and pontificates of those who led the Church from the time of Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455) up to the time of Pope Clement VII (1523-1534), eventually culminating in the Council of Trent (1545-1564).

 

Msgr. Laurence J. Spiteri, JCD, PhD is presently in charge of the legal office of the Vatican Apostolic Library and a judge on the Court of Appeals for the Roman See. The author of At Your Fingertips, Volume One: A History of the Roman Catholic Church Until the Council of Trent (ST PAULS / Alba House, 2008), The Ten Commandments: A Positive Approach Toward Catholic Morality, Lifestyle and Attitude (ST PAULS / Alba House, 2007) and The Code in the Hands of the Laity: Canon Law for Everyone (ST PAULS / Alba House, 1997), he was most recently one of the contributors to the book A Priest for All Liturgical Seasons (ST PAULS / Alba House, 2009). He has likewise authored a number of publications in a variety of languages and is the translator into English of the very fine work of Cardinal Pierre Philippe, The Virgin Mary and the Priesthood (ST PAULS / Alba House, 1993). Reviews Top of Page