Pope Francis: Rebuking the Devil

by Pope Francis, USCCB

Learn how to rebuke the devil and avoid his snares with this new book from Pope Francis's teachings.

In this powerful collection of excerpts, the pope lays bare the devil's ploys and tactics, to help you avoid getting ensnared. Listen with care, as the pope tells the story of the devil's history, character, and works, and consider the pope's suggestions about what you can do to see victory over the devil. Rebuking the Devil will be an important and sobering awakening to those who have forgotten the reality of the spiritual battle that humanity is undergoing. And to those already fighting hard in spiritual battle, they will find great reassurance in the pope's certainty that we can overcome through Spirit-filled discernment and the power of God in Christ Jesus. Through the course of this book, you'll learn from Pope Francis about the practical tools of spiritual battle.

156 pages, Paperback

Published May 24, 2019

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

[Alan V · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read. The pope shows the many ways the great tempter tries to get into our lives , quite a few of them did not even realize. It helps to keep you on guard. Shows ways to stay in the righteous path.

[Joey Routh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was going to read more like an encyclical, but it’s more a collection of homilies and addresses the Pope has made referencing the devil.