Vittorio Russo – When God Descends on Earth

BOOK:  Everything happens during a restless sleep of the main character. An anonymous pope whose name in this book is just “Sanctity” – the usual way a pope is addressed to –  dreams of finding himself in front of God. But, is it really just a vision or is it a death getting close? The uncertain and hesitant soul of the pope is full of anxiety, while the speaker representing God or God himself is far from being indulgent: he accuses the pope of crimes and abuses, vices and sins, excesses and misdeeds committed by the church in thousands of years of its existence. An argumentation-based discussion starts, but gets immediately suspended by a persistent indictment, tireless defense and a theological dispute that takes into consideration the major points and facts regarding the church: from the temporary power to the cult of Mary, from the validity of doctrines to the Inquisition repressions, from the crusades to the superstitious beliefs. Inspired by the tones of a biting irony, Vittorio Russo depicts a couple of exceptional speakers, alternating the  grouchy delusion of the Almighty to the misleading and logical reasons of “His Sanctity” used to justify his own behavior and the one of those who preceded him like popes at Saint Peter’s Cathedral. The result is a pleasant and easy-to-read work on morals, a refined “j’accuse” that, standing aside from the exasperated secularism, reminds us of a true lesson of the Christian message: love for the neighbor and the example of Christ, tolerance, charity and forgiveness. At the end of the quarrel, when the pope wakes up from this terrible dream, the doubt is still there: what if the extraordinary events of the night were something more than just a vivid nightmare?

AUTHOR: Vittorio Russo, a long range ships captain, is a journalist, writer and an author of essays and stories. He published surveys and studies on the origin of religions and of Christianity like Introduction to the Historic Jesus (“Carello” Publishing House, 1977) and The Historic Jesus (“Fiorentino” Publishing House, 1978) which gave him the 1980 Montecatini Award for Essays. He is the author of narrative anthologies: The Tenth Muse (“D’Auria” Publishing House, 2005) and Dreams and imaginary journeys (“Boopen” Publishing House, 2009). A passionate traveler, he created works that mix up the geographic area exploration, ancient myth and the historical revivals. His publications are: The mystical and mysterious India (“Firenze Libri” Publishing House, 2008) and Following the traces of Alexander the Great (“L’Autore Libri” Publishing House, 2009).