Book Log 2010 #5: Knives at Dawn by Andrew Friedman

Very enjoyable look at what goes into being a competition in the Bocuse d'Or, probably the preeminent cooking competition in the world. The book follows the US entrant for the 2008 competition, who faced many of the obstacles of previous US competitors (lack of time and focus on the competition), but also had the (sometimes) benefit of a new support system championed by some legendary chefs. Very much worth the read if you're into food and/or food competition.

Book Log 2010 #4: The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber

Decent thriller about an intellectual property lawyer who gets sucked into the hunt for a missing Shakespeare play, nothing special but not horrible, either. Found the parts where the lawyer was writing less enjoyable, though perhaps an accurate portrayal of a lawyer trying to sound more philosophical than he really is. Interesting side characters, especially a pair of booksellers' assistants who wind up on the trail of the missing play as well.

Lentorama 2010 Extra: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 41: John XXIII (1958-63)

John's election as pope was a bit of surprise, at least to him. He arrived at the conclave with a return train ticket to Venice. His choice of John as a name surprised many, as no pope had used the name for 500 years after the last man to use it was widely considered an antipope (a status John confirmed).

John was intended to be a short-term pope serving in the wake of the 19 year pontificate of Pius XII. But John quickly proved that he was going to make his mark when he called the Second Vatican Council. Detailing the impact of this council is beyond the scope of this post; suffice it to say that the Council opened up most aspects of the church to increase participation of and understanding by the laity. Its findings, and the spirit in which they would be implemented, led to a great struggle that continues today between liberalizing forces who want to use Vatican II to strip the church of many of its authoritarian trappings, and reactionary forces who see Vatican II as a threat to orthodoxy and the primary teachings of the church (most notable in this camp are John Paul II and Benedict XVI). This is a trite summation of Vatican II and its aftermath, admittedly.

John's term of office would be cut short when he lost his battle with stomach cancer. His positive nature and obvious concern for average Catholics led to his being called Good Pope John, though as of 2000 he is also the Blessed Pope John, as he was elevated to this last stop before sainthood.

Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 40: Pius XI (1922-39)

Pius' election was a bit of a surprise, as he was more focused on scholarship and research, with relatively little experience serving in positions more common among candidates for pope (he did serve as a papal nuncio to Poland and as archbishop of Milan).

Pius managed to settle the question of the church's landholdings in Rome when he signed the Lateran Treaty with Italy in 1929. This gave the pope control of Vatican City, making him the absolute ruler of the world's smallest independent state.

Pius also used his intellectual gifts in further writing and teaching on social issues, mostly in line with the writings of Leo XIII and Rerum Novarum. In all of his work in social areas, Pius focused on the moral aspects of social welfare, which continued the tendency to support the working poor. Pius believed in an economic policy favoring cooperation and solidarity, principles that were found in much of his writing on the topic. He did not particularly support and one form of government, arguing that as long as religious practice wasn't impeded, the particular form of government was not an issue. That being said, at the end of his reign he argued forcefully against communism and National Socialism. He was also an opponent of Mussolini, and he founded the feast of Christ the King to counter Il Duce's growing dictatorship.

He was somewhat less accepting when it came to relations within the church, as he maintained a strict orthodoxy. His acceptance of modern theological thought only came if it squared with church teaching, and his focus on ecumenism was strictly with bringing back those churches that were in close agreement with Catholic theology, happily ignoring the less compatible Protestant sects.

Pius undertook a number of diplomatic missions outside of Italy, including the signing of various concordats, work with Mexico, Spain and the Soviet Union to combat a rise in the murder of priests, and writings specifically condemning racism. He was also a strong supporter of scientific research.

Pius would suffer two heart attacks in November 1938, and would see his health steadily decline in the following months. He died in February 1939 after a third heart attack.

(OK, not sure how this worked, but I seem to have hit 40 days on the day after the end of Lent. I also appear to be one day short, as when I worked this out I should have ended with a pope from the latter half of the 20th century. Why do these things never quite work out for me?)

Lentorama 2010: Two Millennia of Pointy Hats

Day 39: Leo XIII (1878-1903)

Leo is the third-longest serving pope in history, behind his predecessor Pius IX and John Paul II. He was also the oldest pope, dying in office at the age of 93. But as a young man of 24 he made a big splash in Vatican circles with a scholarly work on papal judgments, and upon meeting Gregory XVI he was made a papal prelate, even though Leo was not yet ordained. Once that was taken care of Leo began to serve in various posts, serving as the administrator of two papal provinces before being named papal nuncio to Belgium. He then served a tumultuous term as archbishop of Perugia, where he fought losing battles against the ascendent Italian state, which confiscated church property, taxed churches and took over Catholic schools.

Leo would return to Rome in 1877, when he named camerlengo, or chamberlain, of the church, the main administrative post in the church. He would serve in this post for less than a year, as he was quickly elected pope after the death of Piux IX.

One of Leo's first undertakings as pope was to bring together the conservative church with the modern, and increasingly secular, outside world. He especially focused on the relationship between the church and the growing numbers of the poor, who were more anti-clerical and more likely to support socialism. His skill as a diplomat helped normalize relations between the church - which was still reeling from losing control of the Papal States to the new Italian state - and most of the European powers (he still had issued with Italy, where anti-clerical sentiment still ran high).

Leo's greatest work may have been in his contributions to Catholic social thought, as he authored a number of documents trying to reconcile church teachings with modern political and economic theory. His encyclical Rerum Novarum was a landmark in the church's social teachings, discussing the relationship between labor and capital, the flaws of both communism and unfettered capitalism, and support for private property. While not radical, it did represent Leo's growing concern for the working poor, and served as the foundation for future church policy.

Upon his death, Leo was buried at St. John Lateran, making him the last pope not to be buried at St. Paul's.