Letter of his Holiness Pope Francis on the role of literature in formation

by Pope Francis

Letter to all Christians on the importance of reading novels and poetry by those engaged in pastoral work.

Genres: Catholic

12 pages, Unbound

Published July 17, 2024

About the author

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) was the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he held ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and Sovereign of the Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III, who died in 741.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He was accused of handing two priests to the National Reorganization Process during the Dirty War, but the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, and the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis had been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor, and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He was credited with having a humble, less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as Cardinal. He maintained that the church should be more open and welcoming. He did not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintained the traditional views of the church regarding abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, and priestly celibacy. He opposed consumerism, irresponsible development, and supported taking action on climate change, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended to me by my priest friend, Dhanaraj, here on Goodreads. For those of us who already love Good Books, we don't need to be convinced of their value for ourselves, but it is certainly nice to have their value commended for our souls and even more for their usefulness in our work of evangelizing.

[Beth Kaup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a MUST read if you love literature!! Pope Francis beautifully articulates why reading literature is so important! And even if you don’t love literature, I will still recommend because this letter might be the reason you come to love literature in the future!

[Jackson Posey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. I’m normally not a big reading-papal-letters guy, but Francis absolutely nails it here, pointing to the ways literature in particular (and, by logical extension, art in general) can serve to lift our eyes towards Christ. I fully expect to return to this letter again and again, probably in the near future. My only frustration is how many times I had to stop reading to highlight some banger one-liner. Excellent read, highly recommend.

[Naya · Rating 5 out of 5]

the Holy Father gently reminds us that, of all the God-given faculties to which we have recourse, the act of ‘ listening to another person’s voice’ (through literature) is most underutilized yet most crucial to achieving spiritual maturity. unlike the rapid pave of late modern society, reading is a patient endeavor that invites us to engage with other perspectives more profoundly.

a beautiful message from Pope Francis — whose personal connection with Borges as a young literature professor in Argentina enriches the experience of reading his perspective

[Ania · Rating 5 out of 5]

For as a voracious reader as I consider myself to be, there was not much need of praising the role of literature in the formation of soul and mind any more. But I do hope that those Christians who still have not discovered the immense value of books will some day look in awe at the treasure that they have been missing up to that moment. I am glad the Pope decided to take up this subject in one of his documents.

[Sarah Zaso · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Literature is listening to another person’s voice” I love it!

[Miguel Panão · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um pequeno tesouro que contém um segredo simples para manter a vida intelectual/cognitiva saudável.

[Ray LaManna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful summary of the importance of literature in the lives of a priest and of all persons.

[Afonso Mora Berardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muito bom! Vou levar algumas das reflexões eheh