CHURCH, INTERRUPTED

A contextual examination of Pope Francis and his effect on the church.

Cornwell, a Vanity Fair contributor and author of numerous books on Catholicism, provides a comprehensive view of the current papacy through a variety of issues, crises, and achievements. As the author notes, “I have focused on a consistent feature of his papacy: a capacity to hold opposites in tension, his many paradoxes giving rise to disruption.” Among other topics, Cornwell explores Francis’ attacks on Vatican gossip and “fake news,” his reforms of the church’s finances, and his accepting attitude toward other faith traditions. His liberalizing tendencies do not always win him acclaim from reformers, however, who expect him to do more. For example, regarding the pope’s views on women, “Francis would be criticized every day of his pontificate for failing to bring women forward in the Church; but the extent of his interruption was unprecedented. His initiatives would offer a significant alteration and hope for the future.” Cornwell views Francis in the context of his struggles against what many believe to be an ossified institution, and he reports on his papacy in a largely positive manner. He does focus a few chapters on Francis’ most regrettable moments, namely his mishandling of the global sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in recent decades. Even here, however, Cornwell’s tendency is to excuse the pontiff’s missteps. Much of the narrative focuses on Francis’ particularly pastoral approach to his role and to Catholicism. His emphasis on mercy is manifested in his nonjudgmental statements about homosexuality, his call for an easier way forward for divorced and remarried Catholics, and his dedication to fighting poverty. Cornwell’s study is useful and wide-ranging but largely unobjective, displaying Francis as a great yet humble man with much of the world poised against him.

An in-depth, less-than-critical study of the current pope.