Nothing But The Truth: The Memoir of an Unlikely Lawyer

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The author notes that months before the resignation, Benedict had appointed him prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household and named him an archbishop. He describes his episcopal ordination as “the most solemn liturgical ceremony I have ever participated in.” Gänswein says that Benedict expressed “some perplexity” about the resulting apostolic exhortation on the family, Amoris laetitia, questioning “the meaning of some [foot]notes, which usually signal the citation of a source, while in this case they expressed significant content,” and wondering why “a certain ambiguity had been allowed to hover in that document” after its publication. When four cardinals issued “ dubia” seeking clarification, Benedict was reportedly surprised that they went unanswered, but he otherwise maintained a “rigorous” silence. Gänswein explains that Ratzinger agreed to serve as prefect of the Vatican’s doctrinal congregation on condition that he could still publish his own theological reflections. Gänswein comments that “without the outlet of theological production, the ‘pressure cooker’ of his intellect would not have had a safety valve and would have exploded.” Benedict XVI: The German pope, known as Joseph Ratzinger until his election in 2005, is not only Archbishop Gänswein’s superior but also his mentor. He became the first pope to resign in almost 600 years in 2013, after which he adopted the title “pope emeritus” and retired to a monastery in Vatican City. DR. PALLENI: Where?PHILIP MALLOY: At the phone company.DR. PALLENI: I guess we can reach her. I’ll call her. Last chance, Phil.PHILIP MALLOY: Can’t you just change—DR. PALLENI: First things first. An apology.PHILIP MALLOY: Call her. 9:59 A.M. Phone Conversation between Dr. Joseph Palleni and Mrs. MalloyDR. PALLENI: Hello? Is this Mrs. Malloy? Phil’s mother?MRS. MALLOY: Yes, it is.DR. PALLENI: This is Dr. Palleni, assistant principal at Harrison High.MRS. MALLOY: Is something the matter with Philip?DR. PALLENI: Well, no, not exactly. He’s sitting right here in front of me. In perfect health. Mrs. Malloy, I’m afraid we’ve had a little incident here—rule-breaking.MRS. MALLOY: What happened?DR. PALLENI: And breaking a rule twice in one week after he’d been warned once.MRS. MALLOY: What rule?DR. PALLENI: In fact, Philip was offered—I just offered it—a chance to apologize to the teacher in question, but he won’t take it. So, I’m afraid—let me stress this is Phil’s decision, not mine—what we have here is a two-day suspension situation. I’m afraid you’ll have to come and take him home.MRS. MALLOY: Now?DR. PALLENI: Yes, now.MRS. MALLOY: I’m at my job.DR. PALLENI: I am sorry. You will have to come.MRS. MALLOY: What rule did he break?DR. PALLENI: We can talk about it when you get here. I’d rather we all—you, me, and Philip—talk about it together.MRS. MALLOY: I have to get permission.DR. PALLENI: I understand.MRS. MALLOY: I’ll come over.DR. PALLENI: Thank you. 10:04 A.M. Conversation between Philip Malloy and Dr. Joseph PalleniPHILIP MALLOY: She coming?DR. PALLENI: Did you think she wouldn’t? Philip, you’re bringing a bunch of grief to yourself. And a bother to her. Now, last chance—apologize?PHILIP MALLOY: No.DR. PALLENI: Go wait out there until your mother comes. 10:05 A.M.

Gänswein also expresses anguish at the pope’s request, in the wake of the celibacy book controversy, that he devote his time entirely to helping Benedict, quoting letters in which the pope emeritus encouraged Francis to allow Gänswein to continue performing the prefect’s duties, to no avail. The German archbishop recounts a later phone call with Francis in which he asked unsuccessfully whether he could return to the role. Marie spent much of the book arguing that everyone deserves adequate representation and a fair trial -- NO DUH! This fantastic strawman allowed her to avoid discussing some major problems with the Canadian justice system: Turning to an incident dubbed “lettergate,” Gänswein denies leaking the full text of a letter from Benedict XVI that led to the downfall of a Vatican official, which he believes annoyed Pope Francis.

Book contents

One could discuss at length whether or not it was prudent to publish the book right after the death of the pope emeritus. However, the message Gänswein wants to send is not that of controversy. Gänswein recounts his years with Benedict XVI, even removing a few pebbles from his shoe, but without entering into polemical tones with anyone. Nothing But the Truth finds her reflecting, dusting off the dirt that folks have wrongly thrown on her name, talking to her peers in the field as well as future hopefuls in the field, dropping gems and showing us that it’s nothing but hard work, persistence, and the ability to be spicy that’s going to get you ahead in life. She’s professional, insightful, inspiring and reserved. I respect her grind.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein: The book’s narrator is Archbishop Gänswein, a 66-year-old German living in Vatican City. Dubbed “Gorgeous George” by the media on account of his chiseled features, he holds two demanding roles for much of the book: he is personal secretary to Benedict XVI and the prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, the Vatican department responsible for papal audiences and ceremonies. At Philip's new school, he is asked to lead his classmates in singing "The National Anthem" At that moment, he starts to cry and admits, "I don't know the words", ending the book. It has been adapted for cinema, television, radio, theatre, opera and ballet and has influenced novels, films, plays, television shows, comic books, albums, advertisements, speeches, election campaigns and uprisings. People have spent years in jail just for reading it. No work of literary fiction from the past century approaches its cultural ubiquity while retaining its weight. Dissenting voices such as Milan Kundera and Harold Bloom have argued that Nineteen Eighty-Four is actually a bad novel, with thin characters, humdrum prose and an implausible plot, but even they couldn’t gainsay its importance.However much I may have thought I knew her as a lawyer, I never believed I knew Marie Henein as a person (I suspect very few of us do). This book provides not only her views on the legal system and the role of defence counsel but also invaluable insight into her life growing up in an immigrant family in Toronto. The early chapters provide snapshots of her childhood and young adulthood that give the reader some semblance of an understanding of Marie “the person” - the daughter, sister, niece, wife and mother - as opposed to merely the lawyer. Seeing Marie Henein in action in the courtroom you would be hard-pressed to imagine her excitedly dragging her brother to see the Ice Capades, partying in drag clubs in New York with family members, or getting teary watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Gänswein explains the situation, recalling that Sarah asked Benedict XVI to sign a press release to defend the operation. Gänswein was against it; Benedict XVI took time to think and then drew up a statement deferring the decision to his superiors. And Pope Francis let it be known that it was better not to publish. John Paul II: Ratzinger’s own superior for many years was the charismatic Polish Pope John Paul II, who summoned him to Rome in 1981 to work as prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. He offered the German cardinal his unflagging support in his unpopular role of policing the Church’s doctrinal boundaries.

The Italian journalist Saverio Gaeta, who assisted Gänswein with the book, explains why it is written as a first-person narrative rather than an interview. He suggests that a journalist intrudes less in a first-person narrative, which enables the subject to go “deeper into what he wishes to communicate.” He describes the German archbishop as “the most authoritative witness and exegete of a man of faith, of a priest after God’s own heart, of a protagonist of the history of our difficult and exciting times.”

Summary

CHARACTERS: Philip was an okay character. I understand that he is young and doesn't fully grasp the severity of the situation, but I feel like he could have spoke up at the end of the story. I did not like Philip's dad. It seems like this whole situation could have been avoided if Philip's dad did not push him so hard to talk to their neighbor when obviously Philip was reluctant to do so. I also did not really enjoy the character of Miss Narwin. I feel like she should have tried a little harder to stand up for herself instead of just rolling over and taking it. To her credit she said upfront that her discussions with her clients are privileged- which is well-known. However, how she makes her decisions to accept cases is not. I also expected more on how the justice system works and less on how she’s misunderstood. Gänswein recalls that Benedict XVI was saddened by attempts — by both supporters and detractors — to exaggerate the differences between the Argentine pope and his predecessor. He describes Francis as an assiduous visitor at the pope emeritus’ new residence, the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican Gardens, bearing gifts of wine and dulce de leche.

For those who are unfamiliar, Marie Henein is a prolific Toronto-based Criminal Defence Lawyer. She’s the 15th most powerful person in the City according to Toronto Life Mag and one of Toronto’s Top 25 most influential lawyers. The women in the legal field in Toronto that I know, and I know a few, either completely love her (most), or completely hate her, there is no middle ground.But Benedict XVI and Francis had almost “touched” on other occasions. At the beginning of Benedict’s pontificate, some situations of the Society of Jesus were discussed, and even a commissioner was considered. Cardinal Bergoglio argued that there was no need for a commissioner, obtaining the promise that that provision would never take place. Gänswein The chapter presents Ratzinger’s ascent through the Church hierarchy as a work of Providence rather than ambition. Unlike some priests prizing Roman positions, Ratzinger did not focus on fluency in Italian. He learned it during the Second Vatican Council, “albeit somewhat poorly, using the didactic method of 33 rpm records.” He only got to grips with the language after arriving in Rome in 1981. The conflict appears to be that Miss Narwin believed Philip's humming was disrespectful and was out of line with the school rules about standing quietly at attention. She considered his humming a disruption. Philip told his parents and everyone else he was humming from patriotic feeling. By the principal's admission, Miss Narwin is one of the school's best teachers, and we see from her letters to her sister that this is true, and she's trying to find a way to reach Philip. When Miss Narwin is put on administrative leave for political reasons, even the coach and Philip's MR. MALLOY: Same as what before?MRS. MALLOY: He’s trying to tell you, dear.PHILIP MALLOY: See, they play “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the beginning of school….MR. MALLOY: I understand. When I was a kid we pledged allegiance. Go on.PHILIP MALLOY: A tape.MR. MALLOY: Okay.PHILIP MALLOY: When—before—when I was in Mr. Lunser’s class, he was like, almost asking me to sing out loud.MRS. MALLOY: I always thought Philip had a good voice.MR. MALLOY: That’s not exactly relevant! Go on.PHILIP MALLOY: But this teacher—MR. MALLOY: Mrs. Narwin.PHILIP MALLOY: It’s Miss.MR. MALLOY: Figures.MRS. MALLOY: That has nothing to do with it, Ben!MR. MALLOY: Go on.PHILIP MALLOY: She won’t let me. Threw me out of class.MRS. MALLOY: The principal said it was a rule.PHILIP MALLOY: Ma, he’s the assistant principal.MR. MALLOY: But why does that mean suspension?PHILIP MALLOY: She threw me out twice this week.MR. MALLOY: It seems arbitrary. Outrageous.MRS. MALLOY: Stupid rules.MR. MALLOY: Right. How can you have a rule against singing “The Star-Spangled Banner”?PHILIP MALLOY: Ask Narwin.MR. MALLOY: You know who I bet would be interested in this?PHILIP MALLOY: Who?MR. MALLOY: Ted Griffen.MRS. MALLOY: Why?MR. MALLOY: He’s a neighbor. A friend. And he’s running for school board. He should be interested. That’s what the board does. Keeps the schools in line.PHILIP MALLOY: He won’t be able to do anything. If I could just get out of her classes.MR. MALLOY: Maybe. Maybe not. Phil, we intend to support you on this. 8:40 P.M. Conversation among Philip Malloy, Mr. Malloy, and Ted GriffenPHILIP MALLOY: Dad, I don’t think he’ll be interested.MR. MALLOY: Of course he will. Now, just let me do the talking. Ted! Hello.MR. GRIFFEN: Oh, Ben. Hello. Is that you, Philip? How you guys doing?MR. MALLOY: Ted, got a minute? This a bad time?MR. GRIFFEN: Well, I am in the middle of a talk with—why, what’s up?MR. MALLOY: Something about school. And Phil here….