Overview

'...a superb guide into one of the most pivotal personalities of the 21st century' - Publishers Weekly 'An exhaustive look at the newest pope ... a highly worthwhile resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.' - Kirkus A wise and perceptive portrait of the late Pope Francis, now in a revised and greatly expanded new edition. Pope Francis enchanted and bewildered the world in equal measure with his compassion and his contradictions. Expanding greatly on his acclaimed earlier book Pope Francis: Untying the Knots, Paul Vallely reexamines the complex past of Jorge Mario Bertoglio and adds nine new chapters, revealing many untold, behind-the-scenes stories from his years in office that explain his astonishing papacy. Consistently Pope Francis showed a willingness to discuss issues previously considered taboo, such as the ban on those who divorce and remarry receiving Communion, his liberal instincts outraging traditionalists in the Vatican and especially in the Church hierarchy in the United States. At the same time, many of his statements reassured conservative elements that he was not, in fact, as radical as he might appear. Charting Francis's remarkable journey to the Vatican, from his controversial behaviour during the Dirty War in Argentina to his attempts to address the scandals plaguing the Church, Paul Vallely has produced a deeply nuanced and insightful portrait of perhaps the most influential person in the world. 'Pope Francis,' he writes, 'has not just demonstrated a different way of being a pope. He has shown the world a different way of being a Catholic.'

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An exhaustive look at the newest pope. In a revised and expanded edition of Pope Francis: Untying the Knots (2013), Paul Vallely delves deeper into the first two years of the Francis papacy, providing a meaty and useful guide to understanding the pontiff. In the early chapters, the author discusses Francis's life in Argentina, including his highly controversial years as head of the Jesuit order in the region. The author also examines the pope's stances on women, homosexuals, divorced people, and other faiths. Discovering a pope with a controversial past and a revolutionary style of leadership in the present, Vallely provides a highly worthwhile resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Kirkus Reviews Updated from a fast-tracked 2013 instant bio, this first-rate remix on the life of Pope Francis includes nine new and substantive chapters ... Vallely provides a superb guide into one of the most pivotal personalities of the 21st century. Publisher's Weekly US The stand-out biography of Jorge Mario Bergoglio. The Tablet

An exhaustive look at the newest pope. In a revised and expanded edition of Pope Francis: Untying the Knots (2013), Paul Vallely delves deeper into the first two years of the Francis papacy, providing a meaty and useful guide to understanding the pontiff. In the early chapters, the author discusses Francis's life in Argentina, including his highly controversial years as head of the Jesuit order in the region. The author also examines the pope's stances on women, homosexuals, divorced people, and other faiths. Discovering a pope with a controversial past and a revolutionary style of leadership in the present, Vallely provides a highly worthwhile resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Paul Vallely is a top-flight journalist with a international reputation as a commentator on religion, society and political issues. He is the editor of The New Politics: Catholic Social Teaching for the 21st century and has advised the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. He was created a CMG 'for services to journalism and to the developing world' in 2006.

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