The Wisdom of Pope Francis: 365 Days of Inspiration

by Pope Francis, Matthew Kelly, Cameron Smith (Illustrator)

When the new pope stepped out onto the balcony on March 13, 2013, nobody could have imagined how this man in simple white vestments would capture the world's attention. Before he proclaimed the traditional blessing on those gathered in St. Peter's Square, he bowed his head and asked the people to pray for him.

This single gesture told the world that this Pope would not just be proclaiming the teachings of Jesus and his church. Here was a man eager to listen and ready to engage the whole world in a conversation that is both ancient and fresh.

The Wisdom of Pope Francis is a collection of his most inspiring, accessible, and challenging ideas. Journey with him through the year as he leads you deeper into the heart of God. Along the way you will discover yourself in new and exciting ways, and develop a fresh understanding of what it means to be a member of the human family in the modern world.

You could spend hundreds of hours reading the writings and speeches of Pope Francis, but here in your hands you have the heart and soul of his message. With an outstanding introduction by Matthew Kelly one of the great thought-leaders of our time this collection has been carefully curated to provide you with a powerful experience. Read, reflect, and allow these words to transform you into a-better-version-of-yourself.

400 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 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

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am writing a review not for Pope Francis or his words but for the format and structure of this book. I was excited to get some background and insight into different sayings or speeches from the Pope, but I got neither of that. This book is a series of one or two sentence quotes for each day of the year with no context. There is no information as to where or when that quote came from nor as to its original context in a larger piece. There also does not seem to be an order to the quotes with seasons or times or themes. They are just randomly laid out in this work. If you’re looking for any substance on Pope Francis, do not look here. If you want cute one-liners, which are good and enjoyable, then this is a fine choice.