SuitabookThe Pope
Harrison, Paul
- Reading
- Read it as both a life story and an introduction to Catholic institutions.
- Themes
- Religious belief and institutional life: The book explains Catholic faith and the role the Church plays in people’s lives around the world. This appears to be intended as an introduction to religious belief and institutional structures rather than a purely personal biography.
- Leadership, humility and concern for poor people: Francis’s humility and concern for poor people are examined, alongside his status as a popular and widely celebrated leader. These qualities are identified as subjects of examination, but the available wording does not establish whether the treatment is approving, questioning or balanced.
- Biography and historical change: The book follows Bergoglio from Argentina to his election as Pope Francis and notes several historical firsts associated with his election. The biographical frame places an individual life within changes in the leadership and geographic representation of the papacy.
- Worth knowing
- Discuss how a biographical account can present a leader’s qualities while also inviting questions about the Catholic Church’s positions, responsibilities and influence in contemporary life.