Two veteran Catholic journalists, one based at the Vatican, the other in the U.S. join pens in this outstanding and entertaining international coproduction:
Stefan von Kempis is editor at Vatican Radio with inside access to the people and places at the Vatican and around the world. He holds degrees in history, theology, and Islamic studies, and is the author of several books on Pope Benedict XVI.
Philip F. Lawler has covered the Catholic Church as editor for Catholic World News and Catholic World Report for many years, and has written several books on religion and the church. He lives in Massachusetts
Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the 266th
and current Pope of the Catholic Church having been elected Bishop
of Rome. He is thereby also the Sovereign of Vatican City. Born in
Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, Bergoglio worked
briefly as a chemical technician before entering seminary. He was
ordained a priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's
Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became Archbishop
of Buenos Aires in 1998, and a cardinal in 2001. Following the
resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013, on 13 March 2013
the papal conclave elected Bergoglio, who chose the papal name
Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is the first
Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first from
the Southern Hemisphere. Throughout his life, both as an individual
and a religious leader, Bergoglio has been noted for his humility,
his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way
to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and
faiths. He is known for having a simpler and less formal approach
to the papacy, most notably by choosing to reside in the Domus
Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the papal apartments of the
Apostolic Palace formerly used by his predecessors. In addition, he
is known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, by
starting to refuse the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his
election. The collaborative work of Stefan von Kempis (Editor of
Vatican Radio) and Philip F. Lawler (Editor of Catholic World
News), A Call to Serve: Pope Francis and the Catholic Future is a
160 page compendium providing interested readers with a profusely
illustrated and personal story of Pope Francis--and in that telling
reveals background details of his unprecedented papal election.
Drawn from conversations, interviews, insider information, and Pope
Francis own writings, A Call to Serve: Pope Francis and the
Catholic Future is very highly recommended reading for Catholics
and non-Catholics alike!
Want to know the inside story of the recent abdication by one Pope
and the election of a startling new one--complete with colorful
photos and analysis by the noted journalist Philip Lawler? Well,
here it is.--Fr. C. J. McCloskey, Church historian and Research
Fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute in Washington DC.
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