Father Greeley was at the top of his form when Ascent Into Hellwas published in 1983. His examination of the workings of theCatholic church and priestly vocation may have shocked Catholics, but it is a fascinating look into the inner sanctums of a world that is mostly unknown to the rest of us. The contradiction in the title refers to Hugh Donlon's climb to the good life that becomes his own private hell on earth.

The Church, like the rest of the country underwent wrenching changes during the 60's that are still having their effects today. Just as the secular world experienced the collapse of the American family, the Catholic church too lost its underpinnings.

The lesson to be learned here, though, and it is that God is there for you, no matter what you've done or how far you've fallen. Though the world fails us and we fail ourselves over and over again, His love never does. Greeley, himself a side-tracked priest, takes on the Church by maintaining that once a priest, always a priest.

Hugh begins the story as a dedicated albeit overworked priest who, as a result of his manipulation by his family and the Church hierarchy, is sidetracked from his mission. His own fatal flaws include an uncontrollable attraction to the opposite sex, which is definitely off limits to a celibate priest, and an inability to forgive and forget. A combination of events catapults Hugh out of the priesthood, and into a forced and ghastly marriage. He becomes a financial success, but is then victimized financially by his own brother. The process by which God rescues Hugh from himself is awe-inspiring. END

Warm, Affirming, Honest, Blunt. If the life of a typical Catholic could reflect half of the faith and love of this book, the Mother Church would be in much better shape. Ftr. Greeley once again comes through (as usual) with flying colors. PS. The "Catholic Household book of Blessings" has become very difficult to come by- this isn't a substitute- but a GREAT stopgap- !

...for RC's or persons converting thereto, you can't do much better than this! I sure didn't leave the Catholic Church because of Greeley; in fact, he helped bring me back to the 5 Ancient Patriarchates, from sectarian Protestantism. I've just found the Orthodox Church to be 'more Catholic than the Pope,' even 'more Irish than Mayor Daley'...or Father Coughlin at least![.]

In any case, Greeley's presentation is more (w)holistic than just about anybody's on Roman Catholicism. Some of his doctrinal "revisionism" is downright profound, and not necessarily what you'll find in the Universal Catechism, but not necessarily in conflict with it either. Certainly more readable and friendly!

I am a huge Blackie Ryan fan, and have read just about every book in the series. My advice to readers of _Happy are the Merciful_ is to hang in there through the first half of the novel. It is not told from Blackie's point of view, but from that of an idealistic young district attorney. I actually gave up on this book about halfway into the D.A.'s narrative, because, though well-written, it just wasn't giving me the "Blackie fix" I crave in one of Greeley's novels. It turns out that the information provided in the D.A.'s narrative is information vital for the reader to fully comprehend the case once Blackie steps in. Without it, the story would just not work. Once you reach the portion of the novel where the narrative switches over to Fr. Blackie, you will NOT be disappointed! I am so glad I went back to this book, and would encourage Blackie fans to keep the faith.

My first Blackie Ryan novel was "Happy Are The Peacemakers." While I enjoyed it greatly it was not quite what I expected. Set in Dublin, scented with a perpetually heavy Irish brogue, and narrated by someone other than the Bishop himself, it wasn't quite my cup of tea. I had already bought "Happy Are Those Who Mourn," and was worried that I would continue to be a bit disgruntled. The good news for me is that "Those Who Mourn" is much more the Greeley novel I was promised, and that I am completely satisfied.
Blackie Ryan, auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, is a wry and iconoclastic defender of the faith who often serves the Cardinal as investigator and chief meddler into suspect affairs. In this case Blackie is asked to investigate the apparent haunting of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the up-scale community of Woodbridge. The death of the previous parish priest, Charles McInerny, is suspect, and the current incumbent, Peter Finnegan, is harassed on all sides by an irascible ghost. The Cardinal is not superstitious and wants to make sure that the ghost does not become a news story.
Blackie arrives to discover that the spirit in question may not be the worst of the parish's problems. For 25 years the finances of the church have been handled laxly and some 10 million dollars or more seems to have evaporated. Blackie's investigations lead him to those who were close cronies of the old priest. The banker Gerald Reed and his beautiful wife Evelyn are involved somehow. In addition, the eccentric Dr. Curtin and his spear bearing wife are certainly suspect, as well as Arnold Griffin, a commodities trader. Blackie finds that all of these players are somehow in cahoots with each other, and that much of the story dates back to Pusan in Korea. McInerny's murder turns out to be the kind of closed room mystery that the Bishop specializes in. With all these complications it is no surprise when a new rash of deaths occur.
One comes to like Bishop Ryan right from the start. He has a slightly sarcastic style that masks a generous nature and a brilliant mind. His first person narrative is full of spark and insight, and he is honest with the reader without giving anything away. He is the perfect foil for Andrew Greeley who seems to really care for his characters and takes the time to bring them to life. These tales are 'comfy' mystery stories, in that there is little real violence and much to enjoy. The reader can look forward to a good puzzle, humorous narrative, and a satisfying ending. If you've been reading a lot of noir fiction lately, try a Greeley tale for blessed relief.

It's often a stretch to find quality poetry which will appeal to students... many children feel that "good poetry" begins and ends with Shel Silverstein. THE LITTLE BOOK OF DOGS is deceptive; it slips under the radar of the apathetic student reader.

Middle school students will pick it up, lulled into complacency by its small size... after all, how challenging can a book less than 75 pages long actually be? They may hestiate a moment upon discovering the content... poetry, hmmm. Not funny poetry... not all of it, at least. But... the illustrations are nice, and they'll likely shrug and give it a go.

Ah, foolish student! In your quest for an easy read, you've dipped your mind into poetry - REAL poetry, by REAL poets whose names you have never heard! Be cautious, student... you will find it difficult to disengage from this tiny treasure. You may even be tempted to take it for a walk with you.

In a nutshell - real poetry, glorious illustrations, and a charming way to introduce the recuctant poetry reader to a marvelous world.

I've read this book over and over and still can't get enough of this version of the search for the holy grail. Brigid is likably annoying and Cormac's brooding makes me want to smack him in the head. The point is that it is the type of storytelling that gets a reader involved in the story.

Greeley is a fascinating author. Thusfar, I've only read his sociology. This is a collection of his columns for syndication in which he attempts (with varying success) to be an ordained Mike Royko.

It's tough to tell exactly what Greeley thinks on a lot of subjects because his writing tends towards self-contradiction, sometimes even in the same column. In general, though, it seems that he espouses the sort of comfortable suburban Catholicism that I've come to reject myself (it was only in reading this book, the first Greeley I've read in two years, that I realized how radically my views have changed in that time and to what extent I continue down my path towards a much more radical form of Catholicism than even what I hold now).

The book is fairly entertaining, written in Father Greeley's plodding but usually fun style. For anyone who has read his works of non-fiction, his views on the hierarchy and the Vatican are repeated here. He is apparently confident that a candidate he can support will win at the next conclave.

In "White Smoke," Father Greeley repeats many of the errors of his other writings. He is a charming person and I think he truly believes that his prescription is the antidote for all that ails the Catholic Church.

He is, of course, wrong. Father Greeley's mistake, as always, is to assume the absence of any transcendent moral truth that goes beyond sociological studies and the whims of American Catholics, seduced by the material pleasures of the late 20th century. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is no more out of step with the people than Jesus Christ was out of step with the people who put Him to death or the American Abolitionists were out of step with those who believed slavery to be moral.

The teaching authority of the Church is not to be sniffed at by those who desire acceptance at Harvard cocktail parties. It is a real thing. Vatican II, contrary to popular belief, did not displace the pope and the magisterium as the teachers of the Catholic Church and replace them with the opinions of American Catholics.

White Smoke is an amusing story- how accurately it describes the conclave no one can know but those who have actually participated. Hopefully, Greeley's predictions of a morally lazy pope will not come to pass. John Paul II has been of the great leaders of our time and one of the greatest Catholic teachers in the whole history of the Church. To replace him with someone who would surrender church teaching to the moral philosophy of MTV would be a great mistake. In this era where markets and majorities rule, the Church remains a bulwark against falsity and moral weakness. I hope and pray that White Smoke will forever be a work of fiction, never to come to pass.

This is the first Greeley novel I have read, though they have all come recommended. As a storyteller he is definitely up there with the best romance writers--in fact I would argue he is better than most sappy romance authors. However, it did take me a good 40-50 pages to understand his jumping from one first-person narrative to the next depending on which character was telling the story, and why he was writing this way. Not a writing style that is widely used.

This book is also a suspenseful mystery, though not as well written in this regard as the romantic. What Greeley does best is give you a good lesson in history, politics and present day sociological makeup up the present-day Catholic Church. Warts and all.

Many conservitive Catholics would probably find this book offensive, though most persons and groups are fictitious (except for Opus Dei, the conservitive Catholic organization). I believe most active Catholics feel that any institution needs to be scrutinized and critiqued. All organizations are run by humans and all humans are fallible. Including the Pope and especially his bishops and cardinals.

Bottom line for this book--it's a decent read, though readers unfamiliar with Greeley's style should be cautious, because it can seem like it is jumping around. It is not the best of mysteries, nor romances, nor even lessons on the Catholic religion--but it could be worse. It is only a point-of-view and not the only one in this universal church. It is a view of what "could" happen and may be close to what might happen during the next conclave. It's entertaining enough as a relaxing summer read, or a quick read on a long plane trip. Though don't ask it to be anything else.

Politics, Vatican style, have much in common with Watergate when Bishop "Blackie" Ryan and Sean Cardinal Cronin travel to Rome to participate in the election of a new Pope. Intrigue, romance, and a look at the behind the scenes activities of the Roman Catholic hierarchy make this a fast paced read, one that you will have difficulty putting aside. This is a must read for all Andrew Greeley fans.

I cannot believe I finished this book. It is truly a piece of garbage.

FRom inside dj flap:

This is a novel whose blunt honesty is certain to spark controversy. From the humblest parish to the inner councils of the Vatican, Father Greeley reveals the heirarchy of the Catholic Church as it really is and its priests as the men they really are.

The Cardinal Sins follows the lives of two Irish boys who grow up on the West Side of Chicago and enter the priesthood. One will remain a parish priest all of his life; the other will become a powerful cardinal. We meet them in the last summer before they enter the seminary- the summer by the laek when they discover their sexual selves in the arms of two young girls whose love and lives will entwine with theirs all through the years.

We share their triumphs and tragedies as Pat rises to teh center of power in the Vatican itself, surrendering ideals, yielding to sexual temptation, sharing forbidden pleasures , yet achieving success in the world's eyes. For Kevin , for whom refusal to surrender principle is both his strength and his failing, success comes in another guise.

This book is a work of fiction. It is nonetheless true, And only one man could have written it. Father Andrew Greelys has been described as one of the ten most influential Christian thinkers in the worl, In this novel, he surpasses himself as a diviner of human passions and a superb storyteller as well.

have an audio version. It is a great story about love, Gods love for us and our struggle to return it and to love one another. Each time I read it or listen to it I discover something more about the theme, the characters and myself.