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Title details for The Great Reformer by Austen Ivereigh - Available

The Great Reformer

Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope

by Austen Ivereigh
Austen Ivereigh
Audiobook
2 of 3 copies available
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2 of 3 copies available


A biography of Pope Francis that will describe how this revolutionary thinker will use the power of his position to challenge and redirect one of the world's most formidable religions

An expansive and deeply contextual work, at its heart The Great Reformer is about the intersection of faith and politics—the tension between the pope's innovative vision for the Church and the obstacles he faces in an institution still strongly defined by its conservative past. Based on extensive interviews in Argentina and years of study of the Catholic Church, Ivereigh tells the story not only of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the remarkable man whose background and total commitment to the discernment of God's will transformed him into Pope Francis—but the story of why the Catholic Church chose him as their leader.
With the Francis Revolution just beginning, this biography will provide never-before-explained context on how one man's ambitious program began—and how it will likely end—through an investigation of Francis's youth growing up in Buenos Aires and the dramatic events during the Perón era that shaped his beliefs; his ongoing conflicts and disillusionment with the ensuing doctrines of an authoritarian and militaristic government in the 1970s; how his Jesuit training in Argentina and Chile gave him a unique understanding and advocacy for a "Church of the Poor"; and his rise from Cardinal to the papacy.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 25, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781427244284
      • File size: 441160 KB
      • Duration: 15:19:04

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 20, 2014
      Pope Francis is a complex human being, as Catholics are discovering. Ivereigh, a journalist, Catholic commentator, and former advisor to Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, is the ideal papal biographer. He provides a detailed and well-written examination of Pope Francis, starting with his youth in Argentina. Young Jorge, the child of Italian immigrants, was strongly influenced by his grandmother Rosa. She provided him with an ideal example of an intelligent, prayerful woman, and she believed it important to live one’s faith by working for social justice. This relationship, as well as several others, helped the future pontiff open his heart to the poor in his country and, eventually, world-wide. Bergoglio has developed into a pope who shakes things up, does not put up with complacency, and truly believes that faith, lived authentically, can change the world. With its wealth of biographical information that offers an in-depth look at formative influences, this is the best examination of the current pope to date.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This biography enlightens listeners on both Pope Francis's life and the history of the Catholic Church. British journalist Austen Ivereigh provides a detailed and enthusiastic narrative that keeps the facts interesting and engaging. As narrator, he gives justice to the chronicle of important life events that reveal how Pope Francis acquired his current views and became the influential leader he is today. Anyone who wishes to gain a deeper understanding of Jorge Mario Bergoglio the man and to be shown the connection between his history and his actions as a religious leader will not be disappointed, as Ivereigh brings a sensibility that other biographies have not. This will be a smooth and engaging listen, even for the cynical. D.Z. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      January 1, 2015

      The 2013 election of Argentine cardinal Jorge Bergoglio to Pope of the Roman Catholic Church was exceptional in itself--he was the first non-European elected Pope in over a millennium and the first ever from the Americas--but it is more noteworthy because his ambitious programs and courageous statements have marked him as different from previous Popes. The early and middle parts of this extremely well-researched work focus on the complexity of Argentina's Jesuit community of the 1950s through the 1990s. Ivereigh chronicles Bergoglio's rapid rise in the Jesuit order in Argentina and his strong commitment, through personal example, to social justice and helping the poor. Controversy was a constant companion through the Argentine Dirty War, church politics, and his time as bishop and cardinal, all of which is explained in great detail. Bergoglio's election to Pope and his planned program for change are elaborately explained as well. The narration by Ivereigh is masterly. VERDICT Highly recommended. ["A meticulous and lovingly written biography that will please both knowledgeable and amateur readers," read the review of the Holt hc, LJ 10/1/14.]--Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.

      Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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