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Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis
A down-to-earth and deeply intimate portrait of Pope Francis and his faith, based on interviews with the men and women who knew him simply as Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Early on the evening of March 13, 2013, the newly elected Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and did something remarkable: Before he imparted his blessing to the crowd, he asked the crowd to bless him, then bowed low to receive this grace. In the days that followed, Mark K. Shriver--along with the rest of the world--was astonished to see a pope who paid his own hotel bill, eschewed limousines, and made his home in a suite of austere rooms in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the grand papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace. By setting an example of humility and accessibility, Francis breathed new life into the Catholic Church, attracting the admiration of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
In Pilgrimage, Shriver retraces Francis's personal journey, revealing the origins of his open, unpretentious style and explaining how it revitalized Shriver's own faith and renewed his commitment to the Church. To help us understand how Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, Shriver travels to Bergoglio's native Argentina to meet with the people who knew him as a child, as a young Jesuit priest, and as a reformist bishop. Shriver visits the confessional where Bergoglio first felt called to a faith-based life and takes us to the humble parish where the future pontiff's pastoral career began: in a church created from a converted vegetable shed in an area just outside the city of Buenos Aires. In these impoverished surroundings, Bergoglio answered Christ's call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless, following the example set by his papal namesake, St. Francis of Assisi.
In this deeply reported yet highly personal book, Mark K. Shriver explores how Francis's commitment has struck a chord in the hearts of millions who long to make faith, love, humility, and mercy part of their lives as they go out into the world to serve and learn from the most marginalized.
Praise for Pilgrimage
"Well-researched . . . Pilgrimage shines a light on [Pope Francis's] unexplored aspects. . . . A very timely and important addition to the literature on the life and person and thinking of Pope Francis. Everybody interested in Pope Francis will enjoy reading this biography."--The Washington BookReview
"Apt to stir the soul of readers . . . While this is a rich telling of Bergoglio's life and ascension to the papacy, it is more movingly a spiritual memoir that draws us deep into a knowing of this at once humble and soul-stirring rekindler of faith."--Chicago Tribune
"A fascinating portrait of a man and a nourishing account of spiritual yearning."--Booklist
"This fast-paced and fascinating tale takes us on Jorge Mario Bergoglio's pilgrimage from his grandmother's knee in the Italian-Argentine community, through years of success and sorrow in the tumultuous country that he loved, to his surprise election as Pope Francis."--Cokie Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868
"All people of good faith, including those whose lives are not guided by religious beliefs, will be inspired and enlightened by the compelling manner in which Pilgrimage brings us closer to the heart and mind of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis. I highly recommend this book; it will make a difference in your life."--Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap.
Early on the evening of March 13, 2013, the newly elected Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica and did something remarkable: Before he imparted his blessing to the crowd, he asked the crowd to bless him, then bowed low to receive this grace. In the days that followed, Mark K. Shriver--along with the rest of the world--was astonished to see a pope who paid his own hotel bill, eschewed limousines, and made his home in a suite of austere rooms in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the grand papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace. By setting an example of humility and accessibility, Francis breathed new life into the Catholic Church, attracting the admiration of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
In Pilgrimage, Shriver retraces Francis's personal journey, revealing the origins of his open, unpretentious style and explaining how it revitalized Shriver's own faith and renewed his commitment to the Church. To help us understand how Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, Shriver travels to Bergoglio's native Argentina to meet with the people who knew him as a child, as a young Jesuit priest, and as a reformist bishop. Shriver visits the confessional where Bergoglio first felt called to a faith-based life and takes us to the humble parish where the future pontiff's pastoral career began: in a church created from a converted vegetable shed in an area just outside the city of Buenos Aires. In these impoverished surroundings, Bergoglio answered Christ's call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless, following the example set by his papal namesake, St. Francis of Assisi.
In this deeply reported yet highly personal book, Mark K. Shriver explores how Francis's commitment has struck a chord in the hearts of millions who long to make faith, love, humility, and mercy part of their lives as they go out into the world to serve and learn from the most marginalized.
Praise for Pilgrimage
"Well-researched . . . Pilgrimage shines a light on [Pope Francis's] unexplored aspects. . . . A very timely and important addition to the literature on the life and person and thinking of Pope Francis. Everybody interested in Pope Francis will enjoy reading this biography."--The Washington BookReview
"Apt to stir the soul of readers . . . While this is a rich telling of Bergoglio's life and ascension to the papacy, it is more movingly a spiritual memoir that draws us deep into a knowing of this at once humble and soul-stirring rekindler of faith."--Chicago Tribune
"A fascinating portrait of a man and a nourishing account of spiritual yearning."--Booklist
"This fast-paced and fascinating tale takes us on Jorge Mario Bergoglio's pilgrimage from his grandmother's knee in the Italian-Argentine community, through years of success and sorrow in the tumultuous country that he loved, to his surprise election as Pope Francis."--Cokie Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848-1868
"All people of good faith, including those whose lives are not guided by religious beliefs, will be inspired and enlightened by the compelling manner in which Pilgrimage brings us closer to the heart and mind of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis. I highly recommend this book; it will make a difference in your life."--Cardinal Sean O'Malley, OFM Cap.
337 pages, Paperback
Published August 22, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
September 21, 2016
I did not know what to expect from a Shriver/Kennedy as an author-I mean the Kennedy's were in politics they did not write books.. . I was pleasantly surprised and I wholeheartedly recommend this book about Pope Francis. I believe it is a fair and balanced look at the religious life of a really great person. This Pope will leave his mark on the world and is making it a better place during his time here. Mark Shriver takes you through the Pope's past in Argentina. Mark Shriver wants you to believe that anyone can walk in Pope Francis' path and help others by loving others--especially the poor and marginalized-- and doing little things to change the world for the better. I know that history will prove that the first Pope Francis was truly a HOLY man. The book makes you feel that you can make a difference-even an ordinary person-can make differences to improve the world we live in.
I am going to look for the other book Mark Shriver has written -his first book was a tribute to his late father--and I will read that next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book and give an honest review.
I am going to look for the other book Mark Shriver has written -his first book was a tribute to his late father--and I will read that next.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book and give an honest review.
January 8, 2017
Why You Will Be Glad That You Read "The Pilgrimage"
I have seen some mass media book reviewers ask “Why another book about Pope Francis?” and then proceed to fit Mark Shriver’s narrative into the reviewer’s notion of what the book should be.
After having finished “The Pilgrimage”, I have to respectfully and firmly disagree. The book works exactly at the level that the author intended. “The Pilgrimage” provides a perspective on Pope Francis that is a journey of discovery into the Pope’s life and spiritual development. On the journey, the author serves as the reader’s tour guide and it is a personal tour, with the author providing cultural, historical and, yes, his own personal perspective. It seems to me somehow these reviewers stumble on this last element – maybe because of the so-called “Kennedy Connection”? – and hold it against the narrative and certainly the author. From my perspective as a reader, this element makes the author transparent and open in his perspective which enables the reader to better understand the insights that he shares about his pilgrimage to learn about Jorge Bergoglio as a man, a young priest, a Jesuit leader, Cardinal and finally Pope.
It is exactly the personal nature of the narrative that makes this book accessible regardless of whether the reader is a “person of faith” or not, a Catholic or not, or has any historical knowledge of the Pope, the Catholic Church, Argentina, etc. In fact, this book is a great, honest, transparent introduction to many topics - Catholics and Catholicism, Jesuits, life lived in faith for action and impacting lives - that the more “secular” a reader’s perspective, the more they may get out of it.
If you are not a person of faith for whatever reason, this is the one book to read about how one person has put belief into action to better the lives of others. A person who has had flaws and made big mistakes and learned and grown from them.
For persons of faith, “The Pilgrimage” provides a glimpse into the practices and actions of the man who would become the most unexpected Pope through a series of stories told to the author by those who knew him along the way. These stories with their rich anecdotes show rather than tell Jorge Bergoglio's development.
“The Pilgrimage” was for me a touching narrative about how one person grew, stumbled, fell and got back up again and then came to impact so many. The author provides a glimpse of who the person is that was chosen to lead an institution that is often (and quite rightly) characterized as archaic, out of touch and corrupt, and within days of being named its leader was able to breathe fresh life and signal profound change with early actions that were both symbolic and real - a true sense of living a modest existence, of embracing all and a "who am I to judge" acceptance.
Without needing a “spoiler alert”, the ending is surprising because it clearly sneaks up on the author as well and is nowhere near where a reader would expect a narrative about a leader’s development to end, but it is a fitting end to a pilgrimage, or “The Pilgrimage.”
I strongly recommend “The Pilgrimage” for its fresh voice and insights into Pope Francis and the journey of faith.
I have seen some mass media book reviewers ask “Why another book about Pope Francis?” and then proceed to fit Mark Shriver’s narrative into the reviewer’s notion of what the book should be.
After having finished “The Pilgrimage”, I have to respectfully and firmly disagree. The book works exactly at the level that the author intended. “The Pilgrimage” provides a perspective on Pope Francis that is a journey of discovery into the Pope’s life and spiritual development. On the journey, the author serves as the reader’s tour guide and it is a personal tour, with the author providing cultural, historical and, yes, his own personal perspective. It seems to me somehow these reviewers stumble on this last element – maybe because of the so-called “Kennedy Connection”? – and hold it against the narrative and certainly the author. From my perspective as a reader, this element makes the author transparent and open in his perspective which enables the reader to better understand the insights that he shares about his pilgrimage to learn about Jorge Bergoglio as a man, a young priest, a Jesuit leader, Cardinal and finally Pope.
It is exactly the personal nature of the narrative that makes this book accessible regardless of whether the reader is a “person of faith” or not, a Catholic or not, or has any historical knowledge of the Pope, the Catholic Church, Argentina, etc. In fact, this book is a great, honest, transparent introduction to many topics - Catholics and Catholicism, Jesuits, life lived in faith for action and impacting lives - that the more “secular” a reader’s perspective, the more they may get out of it.
If you are not a person of faith for whatever reason, this is the one book to read about how one person has put belief into action to better the lives of others. A person who has had flaws and made big mistakes and learned and grown from them.
For persons of faith, “The Pilgrimage” provides a glimpse into the practices and actions of the man who would become the most unexpected Pope through a series of stories told to the author by those who knew him along the way. These stories with their rich anecdotes show rather than tell Jorge Bergoglio's development.
“The Pilgrimage” was for me a touching narrative about how one person grew, stumbled, fell and got back up again and then came to impact so many. The author provides a glimpse of who the person is that was chosen to lead an institution that is often (and quite rightly) characterized as archaic, out of touch and corrupt, and within days of being named its leader was able to breathe fresh life and signal profound change with early actions that were both symbolic and real - a true sense of living a modest existence, of embracing all and a "who am I to judge" acceptance.
Without needing a “spoiler alert”, the ending is surprising because it clearly sneaks up on the author as well and is nowhere near where a reader would expect a narrative about a leader’s development to end, but it is a fitting end to a pilgrimage, or “The Pilgrimage.”
I strongly recommend “The Pilgrimage” for its fresh voice and insights into Pope Francis and the journey of faith.
April 11, 2020
Shriver's personal "search for the real Pope Francis" is much more than a bio of the pope. There's a lot about the Argentina that shaped Francis, as well as the jesuitical philosophy that influenced him so strongly. Shriver's personal reflections were interesting and moving. I've come away with a better understanding of this very people oriented pope.
July 14, 2017
Interesting look at the life of Jorge Bergoglio in Argentina. Shriver explores Bergoglio's family, friendships, early education, and Jesuit training through conversations with people who knew him as a younger man. Surprising to me was that Bergoglio was seen as a particularly strict, unyielding Jesuit who even had enemies and detractors, especially pertaining to a few lingering questions about his actions during Argentina's Dirty Wars (did he do all he could to protect certain people?). Shriver is also quite open about his own family and Catholicism, and his admiration for Francis.
January 2, 2017
I was disappointed in general by the setup of this book. This was partially because I didn't pay attention to the title. This is about Shriver's own pilgrimage to find out what makes Pope Francis tick, and while it's heavily about him, there's too much Shriver in there to hold my interest. I simply must find the bios on Pope Francis instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2017
The subtitle of Mark Shriver's book Pilgrimage is My Search for the Real Pope Francis. The implication is that there is some confusion, disagreement, or misunderstanding about who Pope Francis is. It's almost as if Pope Francis is too good to be true. Or perhaps there's a suspicion that the public persona of Pope Francis is a mask that conceals his real agenda. As Shriver himself writes in the prologue,
But as he continues reflecting on his interest in the man previously known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Shriver comes to understand a deeper reason for writing his book:
By going on pilgrimage to visit the places and people that formed Jorge Mario Bergoglio into the man the world now knows as Pope Francis, Shriver hopes to find that Pope Francis is real and not an illusion. Because if Pope Francis is real, with all of Bergoglio's "warts and moles and failures," then there is hope for the rest of us.
Pilgrimage grew on me as I read it, probably because it revealed more and more about Pope Francis with each successive chapter. The further I got into the book, the closer I felt to Francis.
It was interesting to observe how Shriver was affected by what he discovered, and I admire his courage in visiting some of the dangerous slums in Buenos Aires in order to speak to priests who knew Bergoglio in the 1990s. Shriver's meeting with those priests, Toto and Pepe, were some of my favorite parts of the book, along with the section that described how Bergoglio was able to convince Jorge Luis Borges to come to his high school literature classroom. Ultimately, it was the final chapter and afterword that most moved me, partly because of the presence of Pope Francis himself, and partly because of Shriver's descriptive and reflective talent.
While I enjoyed Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis, the book probably has its greatest appeal to those who, like Shriver, feel disconnected from the Catholic Church and yet feel drawn to Pope Francis.
Regardless of where you find yourself in relationship to the Church, Shriver's book does a fine job in helping the reader understand many of the key influences on the life of one of the world's most compelling figures.
Highly recommended.
I kept warning myself not to believe unconditionally in a guy who, I kept reminding myself, headed a very flawed institution and would need to execute some serious reforms before I could truly consider him "the real deal."
But as he continues reflecting on his interest in the man previously known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Shriver comes to understand a deeper reason for writing his book:
I needed and wanted more of Bergoglio in my life. I needed him to help remedy my own distance from the Church and faith I was born into. I wanted to explore the warts and moles and failures as well as the virtues and good words and successes. Can I believe him? Can he help me? Is he for real?
By going on pilgrimage to visit the places and people that formed Jorge Mario Bergoglio into the man the world now knows as Pope Francis, Shriver hopes to find that Pope Francis is real and not an illusion. Because if Pope Francis is real, with all of Bergoglio's "warts and moles and failures," then there is hope for the rest of us.
Pilgrimage grew on me as I read it, probably because it revealed more and more about Pope Francis with each successive chapter. The further I got into the book, the closer I felt to Francis.
It was interesting to observe how Shriver was affected by what he discovered, and I admire his courage in visiting some of the dangerous slums in Buenos Aires in order to speak to priests who knew Bergoglio in the 1990s. Shriver's meeting with those priests, Toto and Pepe, were some of my favorite parts of the book, along with the section that described how Bergoglio was able to convince Jorge Luis Borges to come to his high school literature classroom. Ultimately, it was the final chapter and afterword that most moved me, partly because of the presence of Pope Francis himself, and partly because of Shriver's descriptive and reflective talent.
While I enjoyed Pilgrimage: My Search for the Real Pope Francis, the book probably has its greatest appeal to those who, like Shriver, feel disconnected from the Catholic Church and yet feel drawn to Pope Francis.
Regardless of where you find yourself in relationship to the Church, Shriver's book does a fine job in helping the reader understand many of the key influences on the life of one of the world's most compelling figures.
Highly recommended.
December 20, 2023
I thought this was a very good book. A must read if you are a Catholic, a should read if you’re Christian, and a suggested read if you’re anything else. This book sheds light on why Pope Francis is the way he is, and why some of the things he says or does is controversial. I’ll admit, I would not have called myself a fan of Pope Francis prior to reading this book. However, I think it clears up a lot of controversy and shows you who Jorge Bergoglio really is. It’s a slow starter but well worth it.
May 4, 2022
Shriver, son of Eunice Kennedy and Sargent Shriver, relates his travels and interviews as he attempts to find people who can speak of their relationships with Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis.
October 3, 2017
Reading this book just made me love and admire Pope Francis even more.
March 20, 2017
Mark Shriver leaves no stone unturned in his quest to know the real Jorge Mario Bergoglio, AKA Pope Francis, including multiple trips to South America and Rome to interview countless sources who both loved and hated this man. We journey with Shriver from the very humble childhood of "Bergolglio" as he is know in his beloved Argentina, to 2015 when the book was published. We meet him as a newly ordained Jesuit community activist and see the unlikely path that has taken him to the Vatican to become the Pope. What have we learned? This man is the real deal. He walks the walk (literally walking or taking a bus more often than not) and is consistently who he claims to be, an advocate for the poor and marginalized, supporting and even exalting them as he is able even when it is unpopular to ruffle political feathers by ecumenical associations. It turns out he and Bernie Sanders have a lot in common. I hope they get to meet someday.
May 30, 2021
Wonderful depiction of a pope that is humble and giving. Reaching our to all no matter how rich or poor, what your beliefs are. The author takes you through all aspects of Pope Francis life. After reading this you will gain a great admiration for him if you haven't all ready
July 5, 2018
Pope Francis is an incredible person, and I so enjoyed reading and learning about his background and friends and life. I also enjoyed reading and learning about Mark Shriver, too.
July 29, 2017
What an inspiring work about a saintly man
Read
September 26, 2019An engaging book as it offers insights into his past, what affected him, the models he had in his formation as a priest, and as a Jesuit, and then as a church official.
December 10, 2017
Written by Sargent Shriver's son, Mark. I sent this quote to my fellow Celtic pilgrims (summer 2017):
p. 71 "September 21 is the feast of Saint Matthew, who, before becoming a disciple of Jesus, was a hated tax collector. The story goes that Jesus saw Matthew sitting at work and said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed Jesus. when Jesus was later criticized for associating with the likes of Matthew, he said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Much as been written about Jesus’s gesture, but the words of an eighth-century English monk, the Venerable Bede, resonate most with Bergoglio. Bede wrote that Jesus’s call to Matthew as “miserando atque eligendo,” which means ‘because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him.”
Bergoglio felt that on September 21, 1953, when he was confessing his sins, Christ reached out with mercy and chose him to become a priest just as Christ had reached out with mercy to Matthew, a sinner, and chose him to be one of the twelve disciples.
In the America magazine interview, Pope Francis said he often visited the Church of St. Louis of France when he was in Rome, where he would “contemplate the painting of The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio.” I visited the church when I was in Rome in 2015 and was surprised to find such a masterpiece in a dimly lit area. I dropped some change into a box to turn on the light above the painting and stared at the image of Jesus pointing to Matthew. Matthew is pointing at himself as if to say, “Who me?”
“That finger of Jesus, pointing at Matthew. That’s me,” Bergoglio said in that interview. “I feel like him. Like Matthew…It is the gesture of Matthew that strikes me: He holds on to his money as if to say, ‘No, not me! No, this money is mine.’ Here, this is me, a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff…I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance.”
Mercy is revealed in personal, concrete, tangible ways—in deeds—and for Bergoglio, the call to the priesthood was real; it was God’s mercy in action despite his own personal sinfulness and hesitation. So, too, was the call to be pope a tangible, mercy-filled action of God directed at him, a sinner. "
p. 104 - Bergoglio's Creed:
I want to believe in God the Father, who loves me like a son, and in Jesus, the Lord, who infused my life with His Spirit, to make me smile and in so doing, lead me to the eternal Kingdom of life.
I believe in the Church.
I believe in history that was pierced by the gaze of the love of God, who, on the spring day of September 21, came out to meet me and invited me to follow Him.
I believe in my pain, made fruitless by selfishness, in which I seek refuge.
I believe in the stinginess of my soul that seeks to take without giving.
I believe that others are good and that I must love them without fear and without ever betraying them, never seeking my own security.
I believe in religious life.
I believe I want to love a lot.
I believe in the daily burning death from which I flee, but which I flee, but which smiles at me and invites me to accept her.
I believe in God's patience, welcoming, good, like a summer's evening.
I believe that my father is in Heaven, next to the Lord.
I believe that Father Duarte is also there, interceding for my priesthood.
I believe in Mary, my Mother, who loves and who will never leave me alone.
And I look forward to the surprise of every day in which love, strength, betrayal, and sin will accompany me always until the final meeting with that marvelous face, whose countence I do not know, a face that i continually escape from but that I want to know and love. Amen.
p. 106 - Sargent Shriver's Creed:
I am a man who was born and has tried to live committed to being open to all people, no matter their differences in nationality, race, religion, or geography.
I am a man who is full of energy and health.
I ama man who takes his responsibilities seriously. I am committed to doing everything I can to succeed.
I am a man who is original and creative.
I am a man who is unencumbered by the past and by existing hierarchies.
I feel free to invent.
I believe the world was and is created by God. I believe the world is good beyond description.
I believe that we human beings who seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness do so because God has given us these things. They are a gift.
I believe that we have a responsibility to God to do whatever we can to do good things for people, especially the poor.
I believe in ideals. I believe that the world can be better if only we focus on achieving our ideals.
I believe that any failure to achieve our ideals should only result in a rededication to them.
I believe in faith, hope, and love. I believe that they have power.
p. 71 "September 21 is the feast of Saint Matthew, who, before becoming a disciple of Jesus, was a hated tax collector. The story goes that Jesus saw Matthew sitting at work and said to him, “Follow me.” Matthew got up and followed Jesus. when Jesus was later criticized for associating with the likes of Matthew, he said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Much as been written about Jesus’s gesture, but the words of an eighth-century English monk, the Venerable Bede, resonate most with Bergoglio. Bede wrote that Jesus’s call to Matthew as “miserando atque eligendo,” which means ‘because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him.”
Bergoglio felt that on September 21, 1953, when he was confessing his sins, Christ reached out with mercy and chose him to become a priest just as Christ had reached out with mercy to Matthew, a sinner, and chose him to be one of the twelve disciples.
In the America magazine interview, Pope Francis said he often visited the Church of St. Louis of France when he was in Rome, where he would “contemplate the painting of The Calling of St. Matthew by Caravaggio.” I visited the church when I was in Rome in 2015 and was surprised to find such a masterpiece in a dimly lit area. I dropped some change into a box to turn on the light above the painting and stared at the image of Jesus pointing to Matthew. Matthew is pointing at himself as if to say, “Who me?”
“That finger of Jesus, pointing at Matthew. That’s me,” Bergoglio said in that interview. “I feel like him. Like Matthew…It is the gesture of Matthew that strikes me: He holds on to his money as if to say, ‘No, not me! No, this money is mine.’ Here, this is me, a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff…I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance.”
Mercy is revealed in personal, concrete, tangible ways—in deeds—and for Bergoglio, the call to the priesthood was real; it was God’s mercy in action despite his own personal sinfulness and hesitation. So, too, was the call to be pope a tangible, mercy-filled action of God directed at him, a sinner. "
p. 104 - Bergoglio's Creed:
I want to believe in God the Father, who loves me like a son, and in Jesus, the Lord, who infused my life with His Spirit, to make me smile and in so doing, lead me to the eternal Kingdom of life.
I believe in the Church.
I believe in history that was pierced by the gaze of the love of God, who, on the spring day of September 21, came out to meet me and invited me to follow Him.
I believe in my pain, made fruitless by selfishness, in which I seek refuge.
I believe in the stinginess of my soul that seeks to take without giving.
I believe that others are good and that I must love them without fear and without ever betraying them, never seeking my own security.
I believe in religious life.
I believe I want to love a lot.
I believe in the daily burning death from which I flee, but which I flee, but which smiles at me and invites me to accept her.
I believe in God's patience, welcoming, good, like a summer's evening.
I believe that my father is in Heaven, next to the Lord.
I believe that Father Duarte is also there, interceding for my priesthood.
I believe in Mary, my Mother, who loves and who will never leave me alone.
And I look forward to the surprise of every day in which love, strength, betrayal, and sin will accompany me always until the final meeting with that marvelous face, whose countence I do not know, a face that i continually escape from but that I want to know and love. Amen.
p. 106 - Sargent Shriver's Creed:
I am a man who was born and has tried to live committed to being open to all people, no matter their differences in nationality, race, religion, or geography.
I am a man who is full of energy and health.
I ama man who takes his responsibilities seriously. I am committed to doing everything I can to succeed.
I am a man who is original and creative.
I am a man who is unencumbered by the past and by existing hierarchies.
I feel free to invent.
I believe the world was and is created by God. I believe the world is good beyond description.
I believe that we human beings who seek life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness do so because God has given us these things. They are a gift.
I believe that we have a responsibility to God to do whatever we can to do good things for people, especially the poor.
I believe in ideals. I believe that the world can be better if only we focus on achieving our ideals.
I believe that any failure to achieve our ideals should only result in a rededication to them.
I believe in faith, hope, and love. I believe that they have power.
June 12, 2022
The vast majority of this book contains interviews and descriptions of places in Argentina, and that is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, you are going to read long passages where Shriver gives minor, seemingly irrelevant details on the regular people and places that Pope Francis was interacting with during his career.
As you read these passages, you might feel like it's all just pointless filler to thicken up the page count. Realistically, these parts actually do have a purpose of "humanizing" an institution and a man, both the papal office and the Pope himself. They also bring into focus certain realities about how God works with and through humans.
Specifically, what makes this book interesting is how through different stages of life, Pope Francis was impacting everything around him in a powerful way that revealed his deep commitment to the teachings of Jesus.
Also, its fascinating how these life experiences shaped Pope Francis and his spirituality, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking the Pope is a communist, but his ideas are coming from a biblical place and not a ideological one, he's both a human in a difficult job asking for prayers, and at the same time a powerful player in bringing about a new vision for the planet based on faith.
You should read this book because you get a sense of who Pope Francis is, why he does things, and also what he means to people who knew him. His entire life has been interesting, even the small details, and people, because as this book reminds you: those small things are actually the important parts we frequently miss.
On the one hand, you are going to read long passages where Shriver gives minor, seemingly irrelevant details on the regular people and places that Pope Francis was interacting with during his career.
As you read these passages, you might feel like it's all just pointless filler to thicken up the page count. Realistically, these parts actually do have a purpose of "humanizing" an institution and a man, both the papal office and the Pope himself. They also bring into focus certain realities about how God works with and through humans.
Specifically, what makes this book interesting is how through different stages of life, Pope Francis was impacting everything around him in a powerful way that revealed his deep commitment to the teachings of Jesus.
Also, its fascinating how these life experiences shaped Pope Francis and his spirituality, a lot of people make the mistake of thinking the Pope is a communist, but his ideas are coming from a biblical place and not a ideological one, he's both a human in a difficult job asking for prayers, and at the same time a powerful player in bringing about a new vision for the planet based on faith.
You should read this book because you get a sense of who Pope Francis is, why he does things, and also what he means to people who knew him. His entire life has been interesting, even the small details, and people, because as this book reminds you: those small things are actually the important parts we frequently miss.
February 11, 2022
How do we get to know people? Especially if they are a member of the rarified atmosphere of worldwide celebrity? It is tough to get an interview with such people, so a backup plan is to interview people who knew the celebrity in less famous days. To interview those folks, it will be necessary to go to where they live. This can be difficult if they live in the other hemisphere. This is the approach taken by Mark Shriver in his book.
Shriver travels to Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina where Pope Francis grew up. He talked with many about their knowledge and impressions of the pope. This includes going to areas where Francis was born and raised and those impoverished areas where he worked. Along the way, we learn about becoming a Jesuit. This is a strict regimen that Francis reveled in for its discipline that guides his life. We discover that Francis is mainly concerned about the welfare of the poor and misguided. He quickly climbs the ladder of promotion within the Church from novice to cardinal. Along the way, Francis lives through Peronism and the ugly civil war of 1976-83 and after. Shriver never gets to interview Francis, but he probably learned a lot about Argentina and himself in trying to discover the personality of Francis.
Shriver travels to Buenos Aires and other cities in Argentina where Pope Francis grew up. He talked with many about their knowledge and impressions of the pope. This includes going to areas where Francis was born and raised and those impoverished areas where he worked. Along the way, we learn about becoming a Jesuit. This is a strict regimen that Francis reveled in for its discipline that guides his life. We discover that Francis is mainly concerned about the welfare of the poor and misguided. He quickly climbs the ladder of promotion within the Church from novice to cardinal. Along the way, Francis lives through Peronism and the ugly civil war of 1976-83 and after. Shriver never gets to interview Francis, but he probably learned a lot about Argentina and himself in trying to discover the personality of Francis.
June 6, 2017
At the start the author talks about his waning faith in light of the scandals & the policies of the Church over the past few years, but the appointment of this Pope, his liveliness & caring, helped bring him back to the Church and in many ways, I felt the same way.
Shriver spends extended periods in Argentina doing detailed research into the Pope and following in his footsteps, helping put an American context onto certain aspects of life in that country to make it easier for his audience to understand things that are very foreign to them. He touches on both the good and the bad, including the Pope's issues during the "dirty wars", though some with a nit to pick will argue that he doesn't flesh out this issue enough.
If you're looking for an easy reading book about the Pope's rise that is one man's story searching him out with touches of America placed throughout, this is a great one.
Shriver spends extended periods in Argentina doing detailed research into the Pope and following in his footsteps, helping put an American context onto certain aspects of life in that country to make it easier for his audience to understand things that are very foreign to them. He touches on both the good and the bad, including the Pope's issues during the "dirty wars", though some with a nit to pick will argue that he doesn't flesh out this issue enough.
If you're looking for an easy reading book about the Pope's rise that is one man's story searching him out with touches of America placed throughout, this is a great one.
June 7, 2018
Shriver takes us along as he searches for the real personality of Pope Francis, beginning by suspecting no one could be as empathetic and caring as he seems to be. He finds disasters, triumphs, and a man patiently accepting both. He traces when and where the current pope developed his deep caring for others with nothing, showing that he always had tendencies that way but they were intensified during a period of reprimand by the Jesuits when he was removed from power and sent to take confessions of aging Catholic men for years. Fighting through his skepticism following the death of his father, Shriver comes to admire the pope and believe he's genuine in his apparent caring for all.
January 2, 2021
As someone who knows nothing about Pope Francis and next to nothing about the Catholic Church, this was a very good intro read. Shriver weaves together an image of Jorge Bergoglio through the touching stories of others. My interest in both the Pope and the Catholic Church has been piqued.
I was annoyed with Shriver’s sometimes tone-deaf statements couched from his place of high privilege. However, some of the struggles that he openly admits to are really no different than mine- privilege is privilege, regardless of your pedigree. “Am I just a cog in the wheel that makes my life comfortable, while my work does little more than anesthetize the poor?”
I was annoyed with Shriver’s sometimes tone-deaf statements couched from his place of high privilege. However, some of the struggles that he openly admits to are really no different than mine- privilege is privilege, regardless of your pedigree. “Am I just a cog in the wheel that makes my life comfortable, while my work does little more than anesthetize the poor?”
April 28, 2021
I first read this book a few years ago when I was trying to learn more about the new pope. I received the book as a gift recently and decided to read it again. What I realized more in this second reading is that the book was as much about Mark Shriver's faith journey as it is about Pope Francis' life. I didn't notice it as much before because I was mentally editing it for the parts about the pope. Shriver is very honest about both what he finds out about Pope Francis and his own thoughts. It was an interesting book.
March 14, 2017
Mark Shriver, nephew of JFK and RFK really goes out and gets the scoop on Pope Francis. He does this by going to Argentina and talks with Jorge's contemporaries and people who were impacted by him during his various ministries. Finally a Pope from the third world who has walked among the poor and was not chauffeured around in a limo. I want to go back and read Mark's other book about his dad Sargent Shriver head of the Peace Corps under JFK.
November 3, 2018
The book is aptly named. Not only is Mark Shriver searching for a very real Pope Francis, he is searching for and finding himself.
Despite never being able to talk to Pope Francis himself, Mark describes Pope Francis in the stories of him he hears from other people.
A very able book, written in a style that helps us to know Pope Francis AND Mark Shriver.
Despite never being able to talk to Pope Francis himself, Mark describes Pope Francis in the stories of him he hears from other people.
A very able book, written in a style that helps us to know Pope Francis AND Mark Shriver.
January 31, 2018
An interesting perspective. Mark Shriver journeys through Pope Francis' life to get a feel for the places and people who helped shape Jorge Bergoglio's faith on his path to become the Pope. The people whose lives he touched and changed with his dedication and compassion share their stories. His love for the people is made clear as he moves toward a caring, yet rational church.
March 18, 2018
This book made we want to know more and more about Pope Francis and now makes me feel closer to him. The author, in making pilgrimage of Jorge Bergoglio life journey, keeps the reader engaged and finish the book knowing without question he is a holy man. I also enjoyed re-learning the role of the Jesuits in modernizing the church and by living the credo that we are all brothers and sisters.
March 25, 2018
This is a good book to learn about the pope’s upbringing and life which informs his papacy now. It helped me to understand and appreciate him better - even where I have a hard time with certain positions which are not matters of faith and morals but fall under prudential judgment. He’s a very godly man.
May 24, 2018
I really enjoyed getting to know Pope Francis. I appreciated Shriver’s style wrestling with the things that made Bergaglio real. Pope Francis spent so much of his life in the slums of Buenos Aires ministering to the marginalized and untouchables of society and tackling difficult social issues. When I closed the book, all I could think about was how much he reminds me of Jesus Christ.
January 24, 2017
I liked it but found it a little dry. I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more had Mark Shriver read it himself because it felt strangely impersonal read by Jim Frangione. Admirable but not dynamic for me as I had hoped.
September 13, 2017
I want to give this book five stars because I adore Pope Francis. I did not pay close enough attention though to the fact that it would not simply be about Pope Francis, but the author's own spiritual take-always as well. I was not interested in those.
May 7, 2017
The only thing I really gathered from this book are the important religious concepts of "desolation" and "consolation." It was a short book and not that interesting.
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