'Explosive' investigation into Catholic Church goes to Bloomsbury

An investigation into “corruption and cover-ups” at the heart of the Catholic Church will be published by Bloomsbury next year.

Power and Corruption: Inside the Vatican by investigative journalist Frédéric Martel will be published simultaneously on 7th March 2019 by Bloomsbury in the UK, US and Australia in what Bloomsbury is calling "a major publishing event”, with a significant publicity and marketing campaign.

Robin Baird-Smith, publisher at Bloomsbury Continuum, acquired world English rights from Benita Edzard at Robert Laffont, for the “explosive” title which is said to explore corruption and cover-ups at the heart of the Catholic Church.

“This revelatory and shocking account of corruption in the Catholic Church will look at the systemic culture of covering up sexual, political and financial abuse and malpractices,” Bloomsbury claimed.

Baird-Smith said: “I am delighted to have acquired one of Bloomsbury`s lead non-fiction titles for spring 2019. Power and Corruption exposes the rot at the heart of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church today. This brilliant and disturbing piece of investigative writing is based on five years' authoritative research, including extensive interviews with those in power.”

Martel said of the deal: "I am delighted that Bloomsbury Continuum will be publishing my next book. This list has all the capacities to make it a big success with its excellent background as a general trade publisher, but also with unrivalled knowledge of the religious book market.” 

Last month Pope Francis said young people were “scandalized” by the Catholic Church’ssexual abuse crisis. In August, he issued a detailed letter responding to a report into clerical child sex abuse.