July 15, 2023
Pleas by the pope for a kinder world. In his latest book, broad in scope yet brief in length, Pope Francis presents readers with 10 requests made "in the name of God." These requests are sweeping in context: an end to war, universal access to health care, fighting against hate speech and fake news, open doors for immigrants and refugees, and "politics that works for a common good." He also asks "that the culture of abuse be eradicated from the Church." These petitions mirror the author's lifelong interest in people living in poverty, under oppression, in places of conflict, and otherwise at the margins of society. Though clearly addressed to everyone, including non-Catholic Christians and those of other faiths or no faith, the book is far from universally accessible. Given Francis' style and approach, readers may picture him delivering a speech to an audience of bishops, with a mix of aspirational and bureaucratic language. On one hand, Francis fills the book with such high-minded statements as, "I call on those in Politics to live daily with a strong sense of austerity and humility." On the other hand, he consistently references and quotes Latin-titled encyclicals and other official church documents, which even many lay Catholics will not recognize or understand in context. The author offers interesting commentary on Catholicism in this moment in time, however. The book serves as an expansion on many of the themes originating in the Second Vatican Council, especially given the pope's calls for ecumenism, caring for the poor, and focusing on human rights, and it would make a good complement to Pope John Paul II's Crossing the Threshold of Hope. Though these two works differ in many ways, they both address universal themes and provide insights into two important modern papacies. Though lacking universal appeal as a volume of prose, the book promotes positive change for a broken world.
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October 1, 2023
Following his 2020 Easter sermon, the pope (A Better World), born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, collaborated with T�lam senior correspondent Hern�n Reyes Alcaide (Latinoam�rica) to expand upon that homily. In 10 essays that fall in line with the development of Catholic social teaching since the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, the book offers a plea to humanity. It also calls for the Catholic Church to repent from its own sins of child abuse. The fourth essay, "In the Name of God, I Ask for Politics That Works for the Common Good," might be the pivotal contribution. Pope Francis's political view that human beings can be transformed by the institutions they create brings the practical mechanics of societies into the realm of high ideals. Those principles would include concern for refugees and migrants, along with civil discourse and mutual respect for others, regardless of race or other factors that many use to avoid unity. The pope urges readers to strive for international and religious harmony and to take better care of the environment. For those wanting a deeper dive, the book has references to encyclicals and other works. VERDICT Readers interested in a summary of Catholic social teaching will find these essays worthwhile.--James Wetherbee
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