Pope Francis : untying the knots : the struggle for the soul of Catholicism

547 Pages·2015·6.56 MB·English

by  Pope Francis

Pope Francis
Untying the Knots The Struggle for the Soul
of Catholicism
Paul Vallely
What reviewers said of the first edition of Paul Vallely’s
biography:
Pope Francis: Untying the Knots Peter Stanford, The
Sunday Times:
‘Paul Vallely’s biography of Francis ... stands, in terms of seriousness of purpose
and depth of understanding, head and shoulders above others.’
Mark Lawson, The Guardian:
‘Reads like a lost, unexpectedly literate chapter of The Da Vinci Code ...
Tough-minded analysis ... lifts the book well above the nervous reverence of
much papal biography, and should recommend it to an audience broader than
Catholics …’
Michael Walsh, The Tablet:
‘Read this book, forget the rest.’
Raymond A Schroth SJ, America, the US Jesuit magazine:
‘At last a book has put both Jorge Mario Bergoglio, SJ, and Pope Francis in
context, and explained the mystery of this man who seems to have come from
nowhere to lead the Catholic Church at a critical time.’
Luke Coppen, editor of the Catholic Herald, in The Independent:
‘Vallely skilfully unravels the competing narrative threads, without ever
oversimplifying either Argentine politics or the new Pontiff’s complex
personality ... a sophisticated biography.’
John Wilkins, the Church Times:
‘ … in a different class from other biographies ... a compelling account.’
The Economist:
‘This book demonstrates that Pope Francis is a tougher, more complex figure
than meets the eye. A turbulent life has given the pontiff a subtle sense of the
realities of power, and the courage to act on it. Anybody who reads this book will
eagerly await his next move.’
Tim Byron SJ, Thinking Faith, the online journal of the British Jesuits:
‘ “Untying the Knots” – is a stroke of genius. It expresses succinctly, but also with
a certain profundity, the challenge at hand ... an engaging and thoughtful read
throughout.’
Tom Heneghan, religion editor, Reuters:
‘Paul Vallely’s Untying the Knots fills the gaps left by “instant books” on Pope
Francis.’
John Cornwell, Times Literary Supplement:
‘Vallely’s book is a formidable achievement.’
James Carroll, The New Yorker:
‘indispensable’
Julian Coman in The Observer:
A ‘masterly biography’
Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish:
‘The indispensable English-language biography of the Pope.’
Eamon Duffy, The New York Review of Books:
‘Paul Vallely’s Pope Francis: Untying the Knots was one of the earliest in the
field. Admiring but keenly questioning, its judgments have worn well.’
For Christine
without whom
nothing would be possible
and for Thomas
faith in the future
In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change,
and to be perfect is to have changed often.
John Henry Cardinal Newman, ‘On the Development of Ideas’,
from An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine
Abbreviations
€ means euros.
$ means US dollars.
Other currencies are spelled out in the text.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Foreword
1 Dirty Tricks in the Vatican
2 The Common Touch
3 Jesuit Secrets
4 What Really Happened in the Dirty War
5 The Bishop of the Slums
6 Exile in Córdoba
7 How Bergoglio Changed
8 Francis – a Name to Alter History
9 A Pope of Surprises
10 Signs of His Times
11 If Necessary Use Words
12 Reforming the Vatican Bank
13 Cleansing the Curia
14 The War over Sex Abuse
15 Synod and Schism
16 A Weakness for Women
17 Prophet or Politician?
Timeline – Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Timeline – Pope Francis
Acknowledgements
Index
List of Illustrations