Francis Man of Prayer by Mario Escobar

Francis Man of Prayer by Mario Escobar is a good introduction to the new Pope. His journey may not be an easy one, but Pope Francis is a welcome change within the Catholic Church that the faithful have been waiting for.

Book Description

“First Jesuit. First Latin American. And a new pope who chose as his first act a simple request: please pray for me.

The recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI took the world by surprise and for good reason. More than 600 years had passed since a pope last left his post.

 Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is a man of prayer, a man of action, and a humble man who has always promoted others over himself. In fact, it was Bergoglio who bowed out of the running in the papal election of 2005 to facilitate the rise of Benedict XVI.

 However, the new pope faces a Catholic Church in crisis—a church that has lost the media pull of John Paul II and is still hounded by pedophile scandals and the filtration of documents from former papal administrations. His first year may not be an easy one, but neither this man nor the church itself has ever shied away from the challenges thrust upon them.

 Pope Francis is austere and simple but has vast theological training. He is a man of his time but one who also travels by subway and bus just like any other citizen. Tirelessly fighting poverty and marginalization, he is a beacon of hope for the poor, persecuted sectors of the church. Has a Catholic spring finally arrived after a very long winter?

 Francis is the complete biography of a humble man who has suddenly become one of the most powerful and influential men on the planet.” – Francis Man of Prayer

My Thoughts

Francis Man of Prayer is a biography of Pope Francis. It isn’t quite as detailed as I would have liked, but I did learn a lot more about him, and grew to respect him even more than I did before reading this about him. I was raised Catholic, and although I consider myself more “spiritual” than “religious” I do still consider myself Catholic when it comes to religion. Just like any religion, it helps to have a priest and church that is a good fit with you. I think Pope Francis is the perfect fit for Pope in this day and time.

To say that he will have a hard road ahead of him is an understatement. He realizes this, but has the faith to help bring in changes for the better. He is also genuine, humble and shows deep care and concern for the people in the world. I highly respect him, and am glad I learned more about him from this book.

* Thank you to the publisher of Francis Man of Prayer, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy of this book for review as part of their Booksneeze program. All opinions expressed are my own.