Pope Francis: Untying the Knots

'...a superb guide into one of the most pivotal personalities of the 21st century' - Publishers Weekly 'An exhaustive look at the newest pope ... a highly worthwhile resource for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.' - Kirkus A wise and perceptive portrait of the late Pope Francis, now in a revised and greatly expanded new edition. Pope Francis 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 years in office that explain his astonishing papacy. Consistently Pope Francis showed 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 reassured conservative elements that he was not, in fact, as radical as he might appear. Charting Francis's remarkable journey to the Vatican, from his controversial behaviour during the Dirty War in Argentina to his attempts to address the scandals plaguing the Church, Paul Vallely has produced a deeply nuanced and insightful portrait of perhaps the most influential person in the world. '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.'

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Foreword to the Second Edition Foreword to the First Edition 1 Dirty Tricks in the Vatican 2 The Common Touch 3 Jesuit Secrets 4 What Really Happened in the Dirty War 5 The Bishop of the Slums 6 Exile in Cordoba 7 How Bergoglio Changed 8 Francis - a Name in History 9 A Pope of Surpirses 10 Signs of His Times 11 If Necessary Uses Words 12 Reforming the Vatican Bank 13 Cleansing the Curia 14 The War over Sex Abuse 15 Synod and Schism 16 A Weakness for Women 17 Prophet or Politician? Timeline - Jorge Mario Bergoglio Timeline - Pope Francis Acknowledgements Index

About the Author :
Paul Vallely is a top-flight journalist with a international reputation as a commentator on religion, society and political issues. 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.

Review :
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 Of the new literature rushed out to capitalise on the great interest and the extraordinarily long honeymoon period that Francis is experiencing, Paul Vallely's Pope Francis: Untying the Knots is perhaps the best in the English language..Vallely, with great insight, posits that this painting in some way represents the enigma of Bergoglio: a former provincial with a complicated legacy, but also a man spiritual and humble enough to recognise his mistakes and learn from them... The focus is on Bergoglio the Jesuit provincial, and then Bergoglio as bishopand cardinal. It is both challenging and illuminating...Vallely is an excellent, well-connected writer, and Pope Francis: Untying the Knots is an engaging and thoughtful read throughout. -- Tim Byron S.J. Thinking Faith 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, UK [an] absorbing portrait of the show-stopping new pope...Vallely invokes the image of 'untying the knots' to explain his goal. -- Ken Briggs National Catholic Reporter Paul Vallely's Pope Francis: Untying the Knots was one of the earliest in the field. Admiring, but keenly questioning, its judgements have worn well. For Vallely, Bergoglio's failures in wisdom and courage in the 1970's marked a watershed in his life. -- Eamon Duffy The NY Review of Books