There are one billion Catholics in the world today, spread over every continent, speaking almost every conceivable language, and all answering to a single authority. The Vatican is a unique international organization, both in terms of its extraordinary power and influence, and in terms of its endurance. Popes come and go, but the elaborate and complex bureaucracy called the Vatican lives on. For centuries, it has served and sometimes undermined popes; it has been praised and blamed for the actions of the pope and for the state of the church. Drawing on more than 100 interviews with Vatican officials, this book affords a look at the people, the politics and the organization behind the institution. Reese brings clarity to the almost Byzantine bureacuracy of congregations, agencies, secretariats, tribunals, nunciature and offices, showing how they serve the pope and, through him, the universal church. He gives an account of how popes are elected and bishops appointed, how dissident theologians are disciplined and civil authorities dealt with. Throughout, anecdotes from church history and the present day bring the culture of the Vatican to life. The Vatican is a model of continuity and adaptation, which remains constant while functioning powerfully in a changing world. This book provides a clear, objective perspective on how the complex institution surrounding the papacy operates on a day-to-day level, how it has adapted and endured for close to 2000 years, and how it is likely to face the challenges of the next millennium.