The Deacon's Bench
Pope Francis has sparked a mini publishing boom. And recently I looked at three new books about him:
While people may have different opinions about Pope Francis, we can all agree on this: he has been very good for the publishing industry.
In the short time since his election and inauguration, publishers have rushed to put out Pope Francis books. And why not? He’s a source of endless fascination: the first pope from the Americas, the first who’s a Jesuit, the first to take the name of Francis. His headline-grabbing public gestures—from washing the feet of female Muslims to forsaking the more elaborate trappings of his office and living, for now, in a residence hall rather than a papal palace—have only solidified his status as one of the most unpredictable and fascinating figures on the world stage. On top of that, he’s the pope! His story would make a great book, wouldn’t it?
Well, yes, it does. Over the last couple weeks I’ve been poring over three of the new volumes about Francis. Collectively, they complement each other nicely and manage to give a fuller portrait of a man who, until recently, was mostly a mystery.
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