At this moment four new books on or by Pope Francis—four in an endless flood, several every week, of pope publications which have swept across my office desk in the months since the publishing world decided there was no limit to the market for a man who in the earlier stages of his career declined to call attention to himself, to give interviews, to join the world of celebrities—defined by Gertrude Stein as someone “well known for being well known.” So now we have a growing number of little paper volumes collecting his sermons, famous quotes, interviews, reflections on family life and his devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Today Pope Francis seems to see that fame is the indispensable instrument in making his message heard. And, like the Gospel, a basic, gutsy, profound message it is. He has warned us that we may have him for only a few more years, and clearly he has decided to pour himself out, flying all over the world, trying to convince a world that sometimes appears to be coming apart at the seams that we must serve the poor, settle our differences peacefully and rescue God’s Earth from our gluttonous and irresponsible stewardship.
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