Pope Francis: The Struggle for the Soul of Catholicism

by Paul Vallely

Overview

For the past two years Pope Francis has enchanted and bewildered the world in equal measure with his compassion and his contradictions. Expanding greatly on his acclaimed earlier book Pope Francis: Untying the Knots, Paul Vallely reexamines the complex past of Jorge Mario Bertoglio and adds nine new chapters, revealing many untold, behind-the-scenes stories from his first years in office that explain this Pope of paradoxes.
Vallely lays bare the intrigue and in-fighting surrounding Francis's attempt to cleanse the scandal-ridden Vatican Bank. He unveils the ambition and arrogance of top bureaucrats resisting the Pope's reform of the Roman Curia, as well as the hidden opposition at the highest levels that is preventing the Church from tackling the sex abuse crisis. He explains the ambivalence of Pope Francis towards the role of women in the Church, which has frustrated American Catholic women in particular. And Vallely charts the battle lines that are being drawn between Francis and conservatives and traditionalists talking of schism in this struggle for the soul of the Catholic Church. Consistently Francis has show a willingness to discuss issues previously considered taboo, such as the ban on those who divorce and remarry receiving Communion, his liberal instincts outraging traditionalists in the Vatican and especially in the Church hierarchy in the United States. At the same time, many of his statements have reassured conservative elements that he is not, in fact, as radical as he might appear.

Behind the icon of simplicity that Pope Francis projects is a steely and sophisticated politician who has learned from the many mistakes of his past. The Pope with the winning smile was previously a bitterly divisive figure. In his decade as leader of Argentina's Jesuits left that religious order deeply split. His behavior during Argentina's Dirty War, when military death squads snatched innocent people from the streets, raised serious questions. Yet after a period of exile and what he has revealed as “a time of great interior crisis” he underwent an extraordinary transformation-on which Vallely sheds new and fascinating light. The man who had been a strict conservative authoritarian was radically converted into a listening participative leader who became Bishop of the Slums, making enemies among Argentina's political classes in the process.

Charting Francis's remarkable journey to the Vatican and his first years at work there, Paul Vallely has produced a deeply nuanced and insightful portrait of perhaps the most influential person in the world today. "Pope Francis," he writes, "has not just demonstrated a different way of being a pope. He has shown the world a different way of being a Catholic."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632861160
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	08/18/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	496
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Paul Vallely has an international reputation as a commentator on religion, ethics and society. As a journalist he has produced award-winning reporting from 30 countries over three decades for which he was nominated for the UN Media Peace Prize. As an activist on international development he has worked with Bob Geldof and Bono and was co-author of Our Common Interest, the report of The Prime Minister's Commission for Africa. As a writer his books include The New Politics: Catholic Social Teaching for the 21st century and Bad Samaritans: First World Ethics and Third World Debt. He writes on political, cultural and ethical matters in the New York Times, the Sunday Times, Newsweek, The Guardian, The Independent on Sunday, the Church Times, Third Way and The Tablet. He is now Visiting Professor in Public Ethics and Media at the University of Chester, and also a Senior Honorary Fellow at the Brooks World Poverty Institute at the University of Manchester. Vallely has been an adviser to the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales and lives in Manchester with his wife and son.
Please visit www.paulvallely.com
Paul Vallely is a top-flight journalist with a international reputation as a commentator on religion, society and political issues. He was correspondent for The Times in Ethiopia during the famine of 1984-5 for which he was commended as International Reporter of the Year. He was the co-author of Bob Geldof's massive-selling autobiography, Is That It? and was later involved in the organisation of Live 8. In 2004 he was seconded to the Commission for Africa set up by the British prime minister, Tony Blair where he worked on the Commission's report Our Common Interest (later published by Penguin). He is the editor of The New Politics: Catholic Social Teaching for the 21st century and has advised the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales. He was created a CMG 'for services to journalism and to the developing world' in 2006.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xv

Foreword xvii

1 Dirty Tricks in the Vatican 1

2 The Common Touch 15

3 Jesuit Secrets 29

4 What Really Happened in the Dirty War 57

5 The Bishop of the Slums 85

6 Exile in Córdoba 111

7 How Bergoglio Changed 127

8 Francis - a Name to Alter History 147

9 A Pope of Surprises 165

10 Signs of His Times 181

11 If Necessary Use Words 203

12 Reforming the Vatican Bank 233

13 Cleansing the Curia 263

14 The War over Sex Abuse 297

15 Synod and Schism 325

16 A Weakness for Women 363

17 Prophet or Politician? 391

Timeline Jorge Mario Bergoglio 426

Timeline Pope Francis 434

Acknowledgements 454

Index 459

Editorial Reviews

08/10/2015
Updated from a fast-tracked 2013 instant bio, this first-rate remix on the life of Pope Francis includes nine new and substantive chapters. Vallely intelligently expands on Jorge Bergoglio's pre-papacy history, highlighting the difficult years he was "exiled" to Córdoba by Jesuit superiors. "He changed when he was in Córdoba" says a fellow Jesuit; it softened Bergoglio's sterner edges. The majority of fresh material unpacks Pope Francis's actions since his election: renewals of the Second Vatican Council, efforts to reach out to the poor, continuing cleaning out of clericalism and corruption, exposing dark ecclesial corners where abuse may occur. Such bold leadership has attracted harsh opposition and set traditionalists—who have had two long pontificates to settle in—back on their heels. Yet the pope's favorability ratings continue to skyrocket among Catholics and non-Catholics alike. While some conservative bishops profess "confusion" over Francis' leadership, the majority of Catholics do not. They see authenticity, moral courage, humility, and a more collegial responsive governance—and they like it. Vallely provides a superb guide into one of the most pivotal personalities of the 21st century. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Indispensable.” —James Carroll, The New Yorker

“No biography, however diligent, can capture someone's interior life. But what this book does demonstrate is that Pope Francis is a tougher, more complex figure than meets the eye . . . Anybody who reads this book will eagerly await his next move.” —The Economist

“Vallely’s portrait is richly detailed, and he provides the most thorough account to date of the internal politics of the Francis papacy.” —The Washington Post

“The indispensable English-language biography of the Pope.” —Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish

“Paul Vallely's biography of Francis . . . stands, in terms of seriousness of purpose and depth of understanding, head and shoulders above other recent rushed cuttings jobs.” —Peter Stanford, The Sunday Times

“By the end of this stint of reviewing I have read through 10 biographies of one sort or another of the new Bishop of Rome. This emboldens me to say, without hesitation, that Vallely's is undoubtedly the most satisfactory of an otherwise lacklustre bunch. . . Vallely, as befits a long-time journalist, has done the legwork . . . Read this book, forget the rest.” —Michael Walsh, The Tablet

“Discovering a pope with a controversial past and a revolutionary style of leadership in the present, Vallely provides a highly worthwhile resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.” —starred review, Kirkus

“Paul Vallely has produced a deeply nuanced and insightful portrait of perhaps the most influential person in the world today.” —Examiner.com

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
The first edition of Vallely's book (Pope Francis: Untying the Knots) dealt mainly with his life in Argentina and made predictions about what direction his papacy would take. This revised and updated edition, twice the size, examines the Francis papacy as it has played out and argues that this Pope is presenting a new paradigm of what it means to be Catholic. There are detailed discussions of the Vatican Bank controversy, Pope Francis's reorganization of the Curia, his approach to the sex abuse crisis, and his views on women in the church, a topic that Vallely sees as Francis's weak point. The author doesn't dwell on sordid details but uses a journalistic approach that illuminates the issues, while perceptively discussing the concerns that many conservatives in the church have with Francis, whom he views not as a man of contradictions but as one of nuances. VERDICT A well-written, balanced portrait of a man leading the church in a new direction. This title will appeal to anyone who seeks a well-rounded study of the current Pope.—Augustine J. Curley, Newark Abbey, NJ

Library Journal

★ 2015-07-07
An exhaustive look at the newest pope. In a revised and expanded edition of Pope Francis: Untying the Knots (2013), Independent associate editor Vallely (editor: The New Politics: Catholic Social Teaching for the Twenty-First Century, 2013, etc.) delves deeper into the first two years of the Francis papacy, providing a meaty and useful guide to understanding the pontiff. In the early chapters, the author discusses Francis' life in Argentina, including his highly controversial years as head of the Jesuit order in the region. Though Vallely is generally supportive of the pope, he does not equivocate from examining the divisive role he played in Argentina and the sometimes-injurious results of his leadership there. However, Vallely notes that Francis underwent a transformation during pastoral ministry to the poor in the early 1990s, changing his leadership style, priorities, and personality. From there, the author delves into the papacy, from Francis' unexpected election to his efforts at reform of the Curia. Vallely uses access to high-placed clergy, journalists, and scholars to piece together a detailed survey of Francis' first two years in his role. He places special emphasis on the pope's efforts to clean up the Vatican bank, reforms for his circle and the Synod of Bishops, and his handling of sex abuse scandals. On a more personal note, Vallely looks at the pope's penchant for unscripted and down-to-earth statements, which has caused misinterpretations by the press and turmoil among church officials. The author also examines the pope's stances on women, homosexuals, divorced people, and other faiths. Vallely discovers the pope to be a difficult figure to label, but, he writes, "Francis is at the heart of a struggle for the soul of Catholicism, and his greatest allies are the ordinary Catholics in the pews." Discovering a pope with a controversial past and a revolutionary style of leadership in the present, Vallely provides a highly worthwhile resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Kirkus Reviews