One perk of being a book reviewer is that publishers regularly alert me to their newest titles and send a steady stream of advanced review copies.
I try to review as many as I can, however I can’t get to them all. So each month I highlight a few new and upcoming books that I’m particularly excited about.
This month I’m focusing on books about our new pope. Whether you’d like to learn more about his background, discover his papal plans, or taste his personal writings, these books will set you in the right direction.
(The descriptions below are either from the publisher or from Amazon.)
Pope Francis
by Matthew Bunson
Our Sunday Visitor, 224 pages, paperback
Released on April 5, 2013
When the curtains were drawn and our new Holy Father stepped out into view of the 150,000 people waiting in St. Peter’s Square, it was a humble and gentle man from Argentina who greeted them, not in triumph, but with a gentle wave.
He’s a pope of “firsts” – the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first to choose the name of Italy’s most famous saint.
- He is the son of an immigrant railway worker, and sibling of four.
- He was an active, social young man who trained to be a chemist before pursuing a religious vocation.
- He is a Jesuit priest and beloved spiritual director who even as archbishop of Buenos Aires was referred to as Father Jorge.
- He is an outspoken leader who experienced firsthand the challenges of a society ravaged by war, economic despair and cultural unrest.
Pope Francis is still new to us, but in this biography you will get to know the man who became pope: A street priest at heart with a deep love for people and a pastor’s touch. He teaches in word and deed the truths of the Church and God’s merciful love.
Get inside access to the entire history-making event, from the startling resignation of Pope Benedict through the gathering of Cardinals for the Conclave and the installation of this Pope of the people.
Examine Pope Francis the man—his background, his ideas, his mission, and his challenges and opportunities as our new pope—including 16 pages of full color photos from Pope Francis’ past and present.
Francis: Pope of a New World
by Andrea Tornielli
Ignatius Press, 200 pages, hardcover
Released on April 10, 2013
“Francis, rebuild my Church!” That is how St. Francis of Assisi heard the call of Christ. It is also how Jorge Mario Bergoglio, at the age of 76, and a Jesuit, seems to have accepted his election to the papacy with the choice of a name that no other pope has ever chosen.
Who is Pope Francis, elected in one of the shortest conclaves in history? Who is the man chosen to be the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope?
How does he see the world and his ministry? How does he understand his call to serve Christ, his Church, and the world? In short, what is the mind and heart of this new pope of a new world–of the Americas and the rest of the world of the 21st Century?
In the words, the ideas, and the personal recollections of Pope Francis–including material up to the final hours before his election–the most highly regarded Vatican observer on the international scene reveals the personality of this man of God, gentle and humble. The son of Italian immigrants to Argentina, he made radically following Christ and the way of non-violence the pillars of his pastoral ministry in a country, continually tormented by social and economic inequities.
This complete biography offers the keys to understanding the man who was a surprise choice, even a kind of revolutionary choice, for pope. It is the story of the humble pastor of one of the world’s largest archdioceses; a cardinal who takes the bus, talks with common folk, and lives simply. It is the story of why the cardinal electors of the Catholic Church set aside political and diplomatic calculations to elect a pope to lead the renewal and purification of the worldwide Church of our time.
On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century
by Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Image, 256 pages, hardcover
Released on April 23, 2013
From the man who became Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio shares his thoughts on religion, reason, and the challenges the world faces in the 21st century with Abraham Skorka, a rabbi and biophysicist.
For years Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Argentina, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka were tenacious promoters of interreligious dialogues on faith and reason. They both sought to build bridges among Catholicism, Judaism, and the world at large.
On Heaven and Earth, originally published in Argentina in 2010, brings together a series of these conversations where both men talked about various theological and worldly issues, including God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and globalization. From these personal and accessible talks comes a first-hand view of the man who would become pope to 1.2 billion Catholics around the world in March 2013.
Pope Francis: The Pope From the End of the Earth
by Thomas J. Craughwell
Saint Benedict Press, 120 pages, hardcover
Released on April 23, 2013
On March 13, 2013, the world waited in hushed anticipation, eyes fixed on a small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel. Just after 7 p.m. Rome time, a billow of white smoke erupted and Catholics the world over rejoiced. Habemus Papam! We have a pope!
An hour later, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the humble Cardinal from Argentina emerged onto the loggia and chose the name Francis, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.
After taking in the scene of Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Francis greeted the pilgrims:
“You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome,” the new Pontiff said. “It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth, but here we are. Thank you for the welcome.”
These words encapsulate the humility, gentleness, and humor of the Church’ s newest pontiff. In Pope Francis: The Pope from the End of the Earth, best-selling author Thomas J. Craughwell gives a first look at the life and journey of the first pope from the New World and offers a glimpse of what his pontificate could mean for the Church.
Pray for Me: The Life and Spiritual Vision of Pope Francis, First Pope from the Americas
by Robert Moynihan
Image, 256 pages, hardcover
Released on April 30, 2013
From the founder and editor of Inside the Vatican magazine, the world’s most well-informed, comprehensive monthly on the Roman Catholic Church, comes this enlightening introduction to the life and spiritual teachings of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, the first Pope of the Americas.
On March, 13, 2013, 115 Cardinals elected for the first time a Pope from outside of Europe. Pope Francis, a native of Argentina, is not just the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere, he is also the first Jesuit to ever hold the Chair of Peter. This means a bridging of the Northern and Southern hemispheres and religious traditions in a way we’ve never seen before, signifying a new global vision for the 1.2 billion people who call themselves Catholic.
Now a leading expert on the papacy provides the ultimate introduction to this new Pope, including biographical information and an absorbing collection of Jorge Mario Bergoglio most persuasive words.
A Call to Serve: Pope Francis and the Catholic Future
by Philip F. Lawler
Crossroad, 160 pages, paperback
Released on May 1, 2013
This thoughtful, lively introduction to Pope Francis’s life and his promising future in the Vatican details the historic events surrounding Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, the subsequent election of Pope Francis, and the particulars of the new pope’s spirituality and thought.
The book, jointly crafted by a Vatican Radio editor and journalist and the editor of the internet news service Catholic World News, artfully combines European and American perspectives and looks at the implications of the election of the first pope from the Americas who also is the first Jesuit pope in history.
This beautiful volume features an accessible format, anecdotes and additional background information broken into boxes, and full-color photography on nearly every page, all the while relating the gripping stories of a man who has confronted poverty, dictatorship, and revolution.
Which Pope Francis book excites you most?