Francis, Pope of Good Promise

July 15, 2015
A wide-ranging biography of the current pope. Journalist Burns (La Roja: How Soccer Conquered Spain and How Soccer Conquered the World, 2012, etc.) admirably tackles a difficult subject but meets with mixed success. The author's plan is evident: to introduce readers not only to Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now known as Pope Francis), but also to the setting in which he was raised, Argentina. What Burns presents, however, is largely a political history of modern Argentina, followed by a topical look at the young papacy. The result is unwieldy and untamed. Speaking often in the first person, Burns takes a guardedly positive view of the pope. As a young man, Bergoglio was deeply affected by populist President Juan Peron, and he remained a Peronist at heart throughout his life. Nevertheless, Bergoglio proved himself adept at navigating the terrifyingly choppy political waters of Argentina, surviving (figuratively and literally) a number of regimes and juntas through his years as a public figure. As head of the Jesuits in Argentina, and then as a bishop and later archbishop, Bergoglio found himself as an enforcer against leftist politics among his clergy while simultaneously working on behalf of the poor. Bergoglio is described variously as authoritarian and as pastoral, and Burns recounts a complex man shaped by the always volatile and sometimes-brutal realities of his nation. "While Pope Francis's spirituality is not in doubt," the author summarizes, "the life of Jorge Bergoglio, as Jesuit priest and bishop, was far from flawless, and deeply human in its vulnerability and complexity." Without much of a transition, this imperfect character becomes pope, and the remainder of Burns' work is dedicated to his papacy, seen from the view of various topics: poverty, economic scandal, gender, sexuality, etc. Francis comes across in each case as mildly positive as well as rather unpredictable. A sprawling study that, though enlightening, takes readers on more of a journey than they may have bargained for.

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September 1, 2015

Though marketed as a biography, much of this book is taken up with detailed accounts of situations in the church and his native Argentina that contributed to Jorge Bergoglio's becoming Pope Francis, whose papacy seems filled with promise for moving the Catholic Church forward after years of controversy. Subjects include the papacy of Benedict XVI, the history of the Jesuits, scandals attached to the Vatican Bank, the clergy sex abuse scandal, and Argentina's volatile political history. In addition to Francis's story, the book includes that of the author, a British journalist with an English father and Spanish mother who was educated by Jesuits and covered Argentina in his professional life, giving him insights into his subject that other writers would not have. Pope Francis, he tells us, is complex, "no picture-book saint," a man who struggled to witness to his faith in challenging times, such as his country's "dirty war," when he served as Argentina's Jesuit provincial and later Archbishop of Buenos Aires. VERDICT This book, due out just before the Pope's visit to the United States, will appeal to readers interested in the world from which Francis came and the formative influences on both the man and the church he governs.--Denise J. Stankovics, Vernon, CT

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