13 ways to get a good read on Pope Francis
Pope Francis has drawn international acclaim with his simple acts of kindness and insistent outreach to those at the margins of society. But he is also a publishing phenomenon.
Yes, there are the glossy magazine covers featuring the pope, from Rolling Stone to Vanity Fair. But there are also several biographies and collections of the pontiff’s own words that can give a deeper understanding of Francis’ background and thinking.
Here are 13 books worth checking out:
1. The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope
Austen Ivereigh is a veteran Catholic journalist who also has a detailed knowledge of Argentine politics, which positioned him perfectly to write one of the best in-depth looks at the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio before he became Pope Francis. Ivereigh also details the ins and outs of Francis’ career as a Jesuit, which are key to understanding the pontiff.
2. Pope Francis: The Struggle for the Soul of Catholicism
One of the first biographies of Francis, and still one of the finest, is this one by Paul Vallely. The book was originally titled Pope Francis: Untying the Knots, a reference to one of Francis’ favorite images of the Virgin Mary. Vallely has revised the book ahead of the pope’s U.S. trip, adding many fascinating stories about the pope’s first years in office.
3. Francis: Life and Revolution — A Biography of Jorge Bergoglio
Elisabetta Pique is an Argentine journalist who has known Francis since 2001. That breadth of knowledge informs her unparalleled account of his Latin American upbringing and experiences.
4. The Francis Miracle: Inside the Transformation of the Pope and the Church
John Allen is the most prominent Vatican-watcher in the English-speaking world. In 10 concise chapters, he looks at Francis’ character and life experiences, and analyzes how they relate to some of the most urgent challenges facing the church today.
5. Pope Francis: Why He Leads the Way He Leads
Francis has wowed not only the public but also politicians and institutional leaders who are asking: “How does he do it?” Every leader would like to inspire and get results the way this pope has, and author Chris Lowney offers insights using the lens of Francis’ Jesuit spirituality.
6. On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family and the Church in the Twenty-First Century
Francis is more of a conversationalist than a systematic thinker and writer. This dialogue with a longtime friend, Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka, provides a wealth of insights into the pope’s thinking and his personal history. Originally published in Argentina in 2010, before Francis’ elections, it has been translated into English and republished.
7. The Church of Mercy
If you wanted to sum up Francis’ pontificate in three words, they would be: mercy, mercy and mercy. That was one of the first teachings he stressed to the public after his election, and it has continued to be the theme of his papacy and the root of his project of reform. Loyola Press has collected some of the pope’s key statements on this central Christian teaching.
8. A Big Heart Open to God: A Conversation With Pope Francis
The pope is best in his own words, and he has been unusually generous in giving interviews that are easy, insightful, enjoyable to read — and often disconcerting to his Vatican “handlers.” His first major interview was with the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, a fellow Jesuit. The interview was published online in August 2013 in Jesuit periodicals such as America magazine. It was later published as this book. It’s a gold mine of anecdotes and quips, all from the pontiff’s own lips.
9. Pope Francis: A Guide to God’s Time
Another great source of papal quotes and wisdom is Francis’ daily homilies. One of his priorities is to serve as a model pastor for priests and bishops, and that includes showing them how to be a good preacher. The pope delivers a pithy sermon at morning Mass in the chapel of his communal residence almost every day. The Vatican bureau chief for Catholic News Service, Cindy Wooden, has collected many of his eminently quotable reflections in this meditation on prayer and the liturgical year.
10. The Joy of the Gospel: Evangelii Gaudium
Better preaching was also a theme of one of the pope’s first major documents from his own hand. This “apostolic exhortation,” as it is formally known, is a wide-ranging but remarkably interesting and important overview of many of Francis’ top priorities. The common thread is the joy and hope that Francis exudes and that have proved so attractive to so many. Several publishers have produced book versions, or you can read it on the Vatican’s website at vatican.va.
11. Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home
Readers who see the words “papal encyclical,” are likely to turn the page to avoid falling asleep. But Francis has upended tradition here, too. "Laudato Si’,” an Italian phrase from a song of praise to creation by St. Francis of Assisi, is the pope’s encyclical on the environment. It is a landmark in papal teaching and has sparked much controversy. But it is fascinating, challenging reading, on science and faith and morality, and is probably not what you expected. Read it on the Vatican’s website, or buy it in book form.
12. Address to World Meeting of Popular Movements
Speaking of controversial, this speech to workers and activists during a visit to Bolivia in July was a barn-burner about the global economy, income inequality and other hot-button social justice issues. Yes, it was one among many papal speeches. But it had such force and such resonance that the editor of the Vatican’s semiofficial newspaper called it “a mini-encyclical.” It’s available in English on the Vatican website and is a reference point for Francis’ thinking —and critiques of his thinking — on poverty and capitalism.
13. The Tweetable Pope: A Spiritual Revolution in 140 Characters
Biographies too long? Encyclicals too daunting? Speeches too boring? Francis is nothing if not short, sweet and to the point, and so is his Twitter feed, @pontifex, where he has a huge number of followers in multiple languages. The pope usually tweets every day, but Michael O’Loughlin, who writes for The Boston Globe’s Catholic news site, Crux, has collected many of the best ones and provides valuable context.