Francisco: El primer papa latinoamericano

by Mario Escobar

El Primer Papa Latinoamericano. Un hombre que eligió como su primer acto una simple petició por favor oren por mí. Francisco es la biografía completa de un hombre humilde que de la noche a la mañana se ha convertido en uno de los hombres más influyentes del planeta. La reciente dimisión del Papa Benedicto XVI tomó al mundo por sorpresa y por buenas razones. Más de 600 años han pasado desde que un Papa renunció a su cargo. Jorge Mario Bergoglio, ahora Papa Francisco, es un hombre de oración, un hombre de acción y un hombre humilde que siempre ha promovido a otros sobre sí mismo. El fue quien en 2005 renunció al papado, para facilitar el ascenso de Benedicto XVI. Sin embargo, el nuevo Papa enfrenta a una iglesia católica en crisis —una iglesia que ha perdido la atracción de los medios de comunicación de Juan Pablo II y es acosada por los escándalos de pedofilia. Su primer año puede no ser fácil, pero ni este hombre ni la Iglesia han eludido los retos que se les han impuesto. El Papa Francisco es un hombre sencillo pero con una amplia formación teológica. Es un hombre de su tiempo, pero uno que también viaja en metro y autobús al igual que cualquier otro ciudadano. ¿Ha llegado por fin la primavera después de este invierno tan largo? El primer papa latinoamericano es una completa biografía de un hombre humilde que repentinamente se ha convertido en uno de los hombres más poderosos e influyentes del planeta.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook

176 pages, Paperback

First published May 14, 2013

About the author

Mario Escobar Golderos has a degree in History, with an advanced studies diploma in Modern History. He has written numerous books and articles about the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, and religious sects. He is the executive director of an NGO and directs the magazine Nueva historia para el debate, in addition to being a contributing columnist in various publications. Passionate about history and its mysteries, Escobar has delved into the depths of church history, the different sectarian groups that have struggled therein, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. He specializes in the lives of unorthodox Spaniards and Americans. Books

Autor Betseller con miles de libros vendidos en todo el mundo. Sus obras han sido traducidas al chino, japonés, inglés, ruso, portugués, danés, francés, italiano, checo, polaco, serbio, entre otros idiomas. Novelista, ensayista y conferenciante. Licenciado en Historia y Diplomado en Estudios Avanzados en la especialidad de Historia Moderna, ha escrito numerosos artículos y libros sobre la Inquisición, la Reforma Protestante y las sectas religiosas.

Publica asiduamente en las revistas Más Allá y National Geographic Historia

Apasionado por la historia y sus enigmas ha estudiado en produndidad la Historia de la Iglesia, los distintos grupos sectarios que han luchado en su seno, el descubrimiento y colonizacíón de América; especializándose en la vida de personajes heterodoxos españoles y americanos.

Su primera obra, Conspiración Maine 2006, fue un éxito. Le siguieron El mesías Ario (2007), El secreto de los Assassini (2008) y la Profecía de Aztlán (2009). Todas ellas parte de la saga protagonizada por Hércules Guzmán Fox, George Lincoln y Alicia Mantorella.

Su libro Francisco. El primer papa latinoamericano ha sido traducido a 12 idiomas, entre ellos el chino, inglés, francés, italiano, portugues, japonés, danés, etc.

Sol rojo sobre Hiroshima (2009) y El País de las lágrimas (2010) son sus obras más intimistas. También ha publicado ensayos como Martín Luther King (2006) e Historia de la Masonería en Estados Unidos (2009). Los doce legados de Steve Jobs (2012). La biografía del papa Francisco. El primer papa latinoamericano (2013). La Saga Ione (2013) o la Serie Apocalipsis (2012).Saga Misión Verne (2013)

www.marioescobar.es
http://www.amazon.com/Mario-Escobar/e...
http://www.sagamisionverne.es/

Reviews

[Leona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Francis, Man of Prayer by Mario Escobar

Book Description from booksneeze.com
First Jesuit. First Latin American. And a new pope who chose as his first act a simple request: please pray for me.
The recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI took the world by surprise and for good reason. More than 600 years had passed since a pope last left his post.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is a man of prayer, a man of action, and a humble man who has always promoted others over himself. In fact, it was Bergoglio who bowed out of the running in the papal election of 2005 to facilitate the rise of Benedict XVI.
However, the new pope faces a Catholic Church in crisis—a church that has lost the media pull of John Paul II and is still hounded by pedophile scandals and the filtration of documents from former papal administrations. His first year may not be an easy one, but neither this man nor the church itself has ever shied away from the challenges thrust upon them.
Pope Francis is austere and simple but has vast theological training. He is a man of his time but one who also travels by subway and bus just like any other citizen. Tirelessly fighting poverty and marginalization, he is a beacon of hope for the poor, persecuted sectors of the church. Has a Catholic spring finally arrived after a very long winter?
Francis is the complete biography of a humble man who has suddenly become one of the most powerful and influential men on the planet.

My Review:

Contents:
Acknowledgements (page ix)
Introduction (page xi)
PART 1: THE SPRING DAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
Chapter 1 The Language of His Memories: A Family of Italian Immigrants (page 3)
Chapter 2 That Spring Day: Vocation and Surrender (page 90
Chapter 3 Difficult Days of Dictatorship (page 23)
Chapter 4 The Ascent of a Humble Man (page 33)
PART ll: CARDINAL OF THE JESUITS
Chapter 5 The Jesuits: The Pope's Army (page 45)
Chapter 6 Supporting John Paul ll in His American Ministry (page 61)
Chapter 7 The Potential Pope Who Ceded to the German Candidate (page 69)
Chapter 8 The Conclave of 2013 (page 91)
PART lll: FIVE CHALLENGES
Chapter 9 The First Pope from the Americas (page 111)
Chapter 10 The First Jesuit Pope (page 149)
Chapter 11 Facing Modernity and Globalization (page 157)
Chapter 12 Facing the Scandals of the Catholic Church (page 161)
Chapter 13 The Humble Pope, Friend of the Poor (page 165)
Conclusion (page 169)
Ten Quotes That Reveal What Pope Francis Believes (page 171)
Chronology (page 173)
Bibliography (page (177)
Notes (page181)
About the Author (page 199)

Such an informative book on Pope Francis. I knew little of the Jesuits but this book answered many of my questions. The author, Mario Escobar, has managed to put together a book very soon after the election, March 13, 2013.
Pope Francis was born December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the oldest of five children. His father was from an immigrant family from Italy. Pope Francis was named Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
Chapter 1 begins in 1934 and is about his mother, father and family. His mother was Regina Maria Sivori and his father was Mario Jose Bergoglio.
Chapter 2 is on his decision to become a priest. The education for Catholic seminarians, particularly the Jesuits (page 19-21), has four pillars. First pillar is spiritual life, second involves community life, third is intellectual life and fourth is apostolic life.
Chapter 5 gives the history of the Jesuits. Page 51 and page 52 has comments from John Adams and Abraham Lincoln and not kind remarks about the Jesuits.
Chapter 9 (page 111) lists the periods of the Popes who were not Italian (page 142). 1. Greek Period (97-418). 2. Syrian Period (685-705). 3. German Period (996-1075). 4. French Period (1057-1378). 5. Spanish Period ( 1455-1523). 6. Central European Period (1455-2013).The author also gives the names of the Popes in these periods.
On page 171 there are Ten Quotes That Reveal What Pope Francis Believes. 1.The Christian people must be the center of the Church. 2. Prayer is an instrument of service. 3 Jesus Christ is the center of the Christian message. 4. His style should continue to be simple and approachable. 5 Protecting creation is our responsibility. 6. Social media can be used to engage the faithful. 7. The pope is a servant to the people. 8. The New Evangelization can increase church growth and effectiveness. 9. Overcoming the vocational crisis is possible. 10. We must be wary of our emotions.
I found this a good read and it supplied me with new information. Some of the book dealt with problems of the Church and while we may not like that portion of the book, it happened.
I look forward to reading more about our new Pope and will possibly read more about the Jesuits.
I received a complimentary copy of Francis, Man of Prayer by Mario Escobar from booksneeze.com and Thomas Nelson Publishers to read and review. The opinions are my own.
I give it a 5 star because I think it gives us an insight of some of the things Pope Francis will offer us and history of the past.
Mario Escobar may be reached at www.marioescobar.es
Leona Olson
http://www.mnleona.blogspot.com

[Jennifer L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

FTC disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Who is Pope Francis? Prior to March, many in the world had never heard of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, or if they had, it was only in passing, and now he’s an extremely influential leader. Even more interesting, how did a man of religious orders, especially a Jesuit become pope? Elected pontiff from Latin America, he’s the first in that as well as well as the first Pope Francis. How did he decide on the name of Francis? This book answers these questions and more.

The first part of the book is about the man himself. Did you know he asked a girl to marry him and told her if she didn’t he would become a priest? Her decision not to accept his proposal changed the course of his life -- and history. A humble man, asking for prayers of the people upon being introduced as the leader of the Catholic Church, this book takes a look at his life and ministry.

The second part of this book gives a background on where the Catholic Church is in terms of change. Is this a major transition for the Church? How so? One can only speculate, but author Mario Escobar gives his opinions of what may be in store as well as another theory behind Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.

This was an interesting book as I’m fascinated with Pope Francis from the few stories I’ve heard in the media about his humble and frugal ways. He seems to put people first, and I wanted to read more antidotes about him, but unfortunately this book was more factual instead of the things I’ve read in the media about the man you would love to know and see as you are out grocery shopping. While I understand giving the background of where the Catholic Church is currently is an important part of grasping the WHYs of a Latin America pope, as well as one from the Jesuits, I would have preferred a book with more about the man Pope Francis is. I realize that this book is one that had to be put together quickly to already be on the market, yet I was still hoping for a little more than this book delivered. It has given me a good background on this leader from Argentina, and I look forward to reading more about him.

If you are looking for a good overview, I recommend this book. If you want to learn more about Pope Francis and his interactions with others with fascinating stories, look elsewhere. Still, it was a good book, and I’m glad I read it.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Brief Introduction to Pope Francis' Background and Beliefs

Although not widely known outside Latin America, Pope Francis has long been well regarded by the hierarchy in the Catholic Church, illustrated by the fact that he was almost elected pope instead of Benedict the XVI. The book gives a brief history of his early life and finding his vocation. The section on his interaction with the dictators in Argentina is particularly useful since that period of his life has come under criticism.

Francis is the first Jesuit pope. Since most people know little about the history of the Jesuits, Escobar includes a chapter on the origins of the order. I didn't realize that there had never been a Jesuit pope. It makes perfect sense when you realize that the rules of the order include the provision that anyone who attains the rank of bishop is no longer under the order's jurisdiction.

Escobar discusses how the conclaves used to elect the pope are structured and gives insight into the two recent conclaves: the first where Benedict the XVI was elected, and the second where Francis became the choice.

I found Part III discussing the challenges Francis faces to be one of the most interesting parts of the book. As a Protestant, I am familiar with some of the more publicized challenges like the pedophilia scandals and the Vatican leaks, but the challenge of drawing lapsed Catholics back to the church is an equally great challenge.

The book ends with a series of quotes by Francis that Escobar believes sum up the pope's beliefs. This book is well worth reading if you are interested in finding out who the new pope is. I'm sure there are, or will shortly be more comprehensive biographies that focus on Catholic doctrine and theology, but for the average reader this is an excellent introduction.

I reviewed this book for Thomas Nelson.

[Juan Jo Ponce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grande es mi satisfacción y placer al terminar tan hermoso libro, que te informa, te llena y te lleva de la mano de tan emblemático personaje: El Papa Francisco.

Si antes lo admiraba y sentía un profundo respeto por él, en definitiva dichas cualidades se han reforzado tras la lectura de esta obra.

Adicional a su vida y la larga e interesante travesía para llegar a ser papa, me encantó todo lo que aprendes, cómo funciona la estructura y logística interna de la Iglesia católica, cómo se escogen a los papas, el impacto de la sociedad civil en El Vaticano, en fin, resulta ser un interesante viaje a terrenos inexplorados, de descubrir el funcionamiento interno de este gran organismo católico. ¡Interesantísima aventura!

El sentir emocional, la bondad hacia el mundo y esa lucha para salir de la rigidez de la Iglesia Católica, es algo que le agradezco al Papa Francisco. La disposición por hacer de este, un mundo mejor, es uno de los grandes tesoros que expone este gran personaje.

Terminé el libro con un reconfortante suspiro, habiendo lamentado que fuera un libro tan corto (142 páginas) para tan interesante y enriquecedor tema.

Felicito al autor: Mario Escobar, por tan excepcional trabajo de investigación, que compiló la esencia de uno de los grandes de nuestros tiempos: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, "El Papa Francisco".

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a Protestant like me, this is a good introduction to the new Pope and what his time at leading the Church may bring. I learned about the Jesuits, the electoral system, and more. For any one wanting a concise introduction with some historical information, this is a good book to read. See my full review at http://bit.ly/1cdJjcP.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published remarkably quickly after the election of Pope Francis. Despite that, I found it an engaging and informative outline of this remarkable man of faith.

As you read it becomes clear that he truly is a man of humility, a man singularly qualified for leading the Catholic Church,

I totally enjoyed this book.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Catholic and everyone interested in the Catholic Pope should put this book on their reading list.
The book was more an explanation of what goes on behind the scenes in the Catholic Church hierarchy.
Francis may be the Pope that brings back lapsed Catholics with his return to vows of poverty.
I was surprised Francis is the fist Jesuit Pope.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only was this a good biography of Francis, really appreciated the history of the Jesuits.

[Linnea Laffoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a bit about popes and Francis, he's an interesting guy.

[Grace Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, detailed account of the life and beliefs of our current Pope. A bit over-detailed at times but wonderful insight into his life

[Mikael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skrevet kort tid efter Pave Frans' tiltrædelse med forventning, men også usikkerhed om, hvem Pave Frans egentlig er/var og hvordan hans pontifikat ville blive. Går ikke alt for tæt, selv om den ligger op til det flere gange. Hans vej til det apostolske sæde er fint beskrevet - og det bliver slået fast med syvtommersøm at han er den første pave med jesuittisk og sydamerikansk baggrund - og vi forstår, at pavens hjerte banker særligt højt og varmt for de fattige, men vi lærer ham ikke at kende. Se hellere filmen 'A Man of His Word', hvis du vil lære ham at kende.

[Deborah Charnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aprendí mucho a través de este libro. Pero no me pareció tan profundo como había anticipado. Diría más bien que aprendí más acerca de la iglesia, que el propio papa Francisco. De todos modos, confirmó y profundizó mi respeto por él.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possibly a good primer for non-Catholics, really too heavy on the facts - doesn’t read so much as a narrative as an encyclopedia entry.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a great overview of the life leading up to his time as Pope. I wanted to hear more about his spirituality rather than just history.

[Tim Wester · Rating 2 out of 5]

More historical history than talk on prayer

[Jesica Chintia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Semakin ku kagum dengan kisah hidup Bapa Fransiskus..
Pendoa dan Pelayan agung kaum lemah..

[Sonibookoroni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen.. I’m curious ok.

[Dave Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable introduction to the life and background of the current Pope. I highly recommend it to all.

[JoAnna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off well enough, with a broad outline of Pope Francis' early life in South America as a young man about the enter seminary. But for a book entitled "Francis: Man of Prayer," this biography curiously focuses barely any attention on the spiritual life of our new pope aside from a few brief sound bites scattered throughout. Eager to get better acquainted with the new pope, I had picked up this book in order to learn a little bit more about him, but was sorely disappointed that this short volume merely glosses over Cardinal Bergoglio's time as a priest in Argentina, with an inadequate framework with which to understand his pastoral and spiritual character and the complex political situation in South America that has dominated the last half century. Significant chunks of the text were disproportionately devoted to the 'drama' of the 2005 and 2013 conclaves, although its brief overview of the founding of the Society of Jesus might be helpful for non-Catholic readers. Perhaps partially marred by translation, Escobar adopts a rather simplistic and predictable tone when discussing Pope Francis' personal style or the papacy and church history, at times somewhat idolizing the first "Pope of the Americas" and pitting him against his predecessors Benedict XVI and John Paul II, who are lamentably described as out of touch with the modern world (each had their own personality, but for anyone who's followed the papacy with half an ear over the past couple decades, they were obviously far from being 'out of touch'). The text merely echoes the instantly established caricatures of Pope Francis (and other modern popes) created by the press, which praise him for his 'radical' sense of poverty and down to earth style while overlooking the vast continuity he has with his predecessors. The author writes as a 'church outsider,' who at several points presents events with eye-roll-worthy sensationalism (e.g., the play-by-play run-down of the conclaves, gentle put-downs of Pope Benedict's bookish manner and usually misunderstood embrace of liturgical finery, speculation about how Francis is going to 'change things'). He again, predictably, draws attention to the reforms of Vatican II, the sex abuse scandal, abortion, homosexual marriage, and ecumenism with the same stilted superficiality commonly found in the associated press, without any enlightening nuance. All of this without focusing nearly enough on the man whom this book claims to profile. To better familiarize myself with Pope Francis, I'll gladly defer to something he's written himself, such as "On Heaven and Earth."

[Callie · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I was given the chance to review Francis: Man of Prayer by Mario Escobar, I jumped at the chance! I was anxious to know more about this man as I had been following the news reports after he replaced Pope Benedict XVI and heard that he may bring significant changes in Catholicism. I was interested in learning about his background as he is the first Jesuit pope and the first pope from the Americas (Argentina).

This book is divided into three parts. The first focuses on his early life (birth through seminary and teaching positions). The second part talks about his time as a Cardinal and the 2013 Conclave. The third looks to the future at the challenges he must overcome and factors that make him unique. Quotes from Pope Francis were scattered throughout, which I liked. In addition to learning about his background, I learned more about the hierarchy of the Catholic church and especially the Vatican. I am looking forward to seeing how Pope Francis leads the Catholic church in the coming years.

While my respect for Pope Francis grew after reading this book, I cannot recommend this book as a biography. I assume that it was written in haste (in order to be published as soon as possible after Pope Francis was chosen). There are several parts that seem like filler information, including a long portion about the dictatorship in Argentina and the background of the Jesuits. Yes, these do have something to do with Pope Francis' life, but it really veered off the track of a biography in my mind. At times it felt like reading a very long news article. I do hope that people read more about Pope Francis, however, I think that they should find a better, clearer biography.





**I received a free copy of this book from BookSneeze in exchange for an honest review.

[Michael Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

In February of this year the world was shocked when Pope Benedict XVI announced that he was resigning the papacy, effective February 28. He became the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415.

Following the announcement the Conclave of Cardinals was assembled and in early March Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was named Pope Francis.

In "Francis: Man of Prayer," Mario Escobar has done a good job of chronicling the process and introducing the world to Pope Francis.

While the book is informative and easy to read, it does appear to be hastily put together. After all, Pope Francis was named in March and the book published in May. That doesn't make this a bad book but it is more an essay than a biography. It's a good introduction to Pope Francis, but it doesn't really tell one about his life.

The book is a good introduction, and it outlines the challenges facing the new Pope and the Catholic Church. But it remains light on the biographical details.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Lia Burres · Rating 2 out of 5]

As we all know, the later Pope resigned. Taking his place was a new Pope as of the end of Feb. 2013. It had been more than 600 years since a Pope had left his seat as "Pope".

This book was meant to be written as a biography. However, it was written more of an article or essay of some sort. It has the issue with going off track in some parts of the book. With that said, it was written as if they were in a real hurry to have it published because of him taking the seat that very March. It was published in May.

I would suggest if you're looking into wanting to know more about the Pope, find a better and well written book that has the right touch to it. When reading this one, I became a little more than confused during some of the things as it went to one thing and back to another, bouncing around like a rubber ball.

Some of the quotes from the Pope had been scattered throughout the whole book, not in just certain portions of the book. It does tell of his life, but not into very much detail. You will learn that his early part of life was actually in South America and a few other things as well.

I just can't recommend it to someone as I didn't find it that worthy of a recommendation.

On a scale of one to five, five being the best, I might give this book a 2.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very excited to get a chance to read a biography of our new Pope but then disappointed by Francis - Man of Prayer. I would not call this a complete biography - it reads more like a history text at times which is not surprising as the author Mario Escobar has a master's degree in modern history.
It seemed at times that the book was written in haste to fill a void in the book market when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope in March 2013. With the sub-title "man of prayer", I expected a great deal more to be said about the faith of Pope Francis especially during his time as a youth, priest and bishop but I found that lacking. Instead there was filler about the Jesuits, Argentinian history and other church tidbits.
If you are looking to learn about the spiritual life of Pope Francis and how prayers plays an integral role in his life, this is not the book. If you are looking for a general overview of how he came to be Pope, then you might enjoy this book.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover bills this as 'Mas Que Una Biografia,' when it is in fact less -- more a discussion of papal politics, the current state of the Roman Catholic Church, the history of the Society of Jesus, even the politics of Argentina than a look at Bergoglio's life and traits. The topics that do appear are interesting and adequately discussed, though Escobar's style can be annoying at times. Each segment ends with a series of breathless rhetorical questions. An index would have improved the book a lot; it was rushed into print to answer questions about the new pope, and shows the hurry.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Francis: Man of Prayer wasn't a terrible book but it really wasn't very inspiring. I didn't feel like it was a very in-depth or insightful biography of a man who has captured the hearts of so many Catholics from the very beginning of his papacy. Ultimately, Escobar seems to be presenting the information from a secular and historical point of view. There is a lot of "filler" information. I expected a book with the subtitle "man of prayer" to reveal more about Pope Francis in the context of faith.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

A brief history of the papal office is the content of Francis: Man of Prayer. While the information was educational, it lacked the personal component expected.

Written in haste, a sequel seems appropriate by Escobar. Allowing sufficient time to pass would help gather the personal neglected material needed to compliment the business of being pope, in Francis: Man of Prayer.

[John Martindale · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was wanting to learn a little more about Pope Francis but this book wasn't of much help. It seemed like the author researched a few online articles and then compiled a book. there was a quote here or there about the Francis and bits of history before and during his election as pope, it was pretty shallow.

[Olga Mosner · Rating 2 out of 5]

some interesting info

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating study of an amazing man; one who is surely destined to bring significant changes in his church.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really isn't a detailed biography. It's more of a rough sketch of his life and his statements.