Amici del Signore: I grandi personaggi della Bibbia

by Pope Francis, Papa Francesco

I testi sacri del cristianesimo sono popolati di innumerevoli personaggi, protagonisti di storie che ci indicano ancora oggi le vie della fede e della speranza e ci fanno sentire l'insegnamento delle Scritture vicino, concreto, appropriato al nostro tempo. Papa Francesco ne ha scelti alcuni, nelle sue omelie e nei suoi discorsi, per farli conoscere meglio e offrire modelli di vita ai credenti di oggi. In queste pagine si incontrano, tra gli altri, Abramo e Mosè, pronti a rispondere con fiducia alla chiamata del Signore; la coraggiosa Giuditta, che vince la disperazione dei concittadini con il linguaggio della fede; il gioioso re Davide, che ci insegna a chiedere perdono; il profeta Giona, con la tentazione di sfuggire al proprio compito. Ci sono Maria, donna che ascolta e dice sì al Signore; Giuseppe, capace di abbandonare il suo progetto di vita per una missione più grande; i Re Magi, simbolo di uomini e donne instancabili nella ricerca della luce; Pietro con le sue paure; Paolo che, fatta la potente esperienza della grazia, è spinto a cercare la comunione con gli altri cristiani. Ripercorrendo le loro vicende, Francesco invita i fedeli a riscoprire e rileggere la Bibbia e ad accogliere il messaggio che attraverso di essa Dio ha affidato al suo popolo.

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 18, 2020

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

[GGiorgio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un collage di testi che riprendono le omelie e i discorsi di Francesco. Avrei preferito una sintesi rielaborata più che mettere le citazioni una dopo l'altra.