Following a quirky A-to-Z format, the eighty lighthearted anecdotes in Pope Francis Takes the Bus are full of warmth and humor, revealing the simple humility of the man whose spirituality and concern for others has transformed the Church and captured the imagination of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

Spiritually engaged readers commonly look toward fiction to better understand the depth of a faithful life, and Christians are no exception. Many followers of Jesus value beautifully written, deftly characterized and pulse-quickening literary art that seems more satisfying than dry, tedious doctrinal textbooks. This book surveys 12 pieces of historical fiction that feature notable Christian thinkers. They include an illustrated children's book about St. Irenaeus of Lyons, a novel about Martin Luther's Reformation, a screenplay focusing on Dietrich Bonhoeffer and even a story about Pope Francis narrated in popular manga style. Rather than arcane literary analyses, this book provides thoughtful and sometimes painful interviews with the authors of the covered works. Most interviewees are little known or emerging writers. Some have published their work with a church or denominational press, others with a major publishing empire or popular print-on-demand platforms. Storytellers reflect on their literary choices and the contexts of their writing, sharing what modern Christians can learn from historical religious fiction.

A down-to-earth and deeply intimate portrait of Pope Francis and his faith, based on interviews with the men and women who knew him simply as Jorge Mario Bergoglio Early on the evening of March 13, 2013, the newly elected Pope Francis stepped out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and did something remarkable: Before he imparted his blessing to the crowd, he asked the crowd to bless him, then bowed low to receive this grace. In the days that followed, Mark K. Shriver—along with the rest of the world—was astonished to see a pope who paid his own hotel bill, eschewed limousines, and made his home in a suite of austere rooms in a Vatican guesthouse rather than the grand papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace. By setting an example of humility and accessibility, Francis breathed new life into the Catholic Church, attracting the admiration of Catholics and non-Catholics alike. In Pilgrimage, Shriver retraces Francis’s personal journey, revealing the origins of his open, unpretentious style and explaining how it revitalized Shriver’s own faith and renewed his commitment to the Church. To help us understand how Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, Shriver travels to Bergoglio’s native Argentina to meet with the people who knew him as a child, as a young Jesuit priest, and as a reformist bishop. Shriver visits the confessional where Bergoglio first felt called to a faith-based life and takes us to the humble parish where the future pontiff’s pastoral career began: in a church created from a converted vegetable shed in an area just outside the city of Buenos Aires. In these impoverished surroundings, Bergoglio answered Christ’s call to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless, following the example set by his papal namesake, St. Francis of Assisi. In this deeply reported yet highly personal book, Mark K. Shriver explores how Francis's commitment has struck a chord in the hearts of millions who long to make faith, love, humility, and mercy part of their lives as they go out into the world to serve and learn from the most marginalized. Praise for Pilgrimage “Well-researched . . . Pilgrimage shines a light on [Pope Francis’s] unexplored aspects. . . . A very timely and important addition to the literature on the life and person and thinking of Pope Francis. Everybody interested in Pope Francis will enjoy reading this biography.”—The Washington BookReview “Apt to stir the soul of readers . . . While this is a rich telling of Bergoglio’s life and ascension to the papacy, it is more movingly a spiritual memoir that draws us deep into a knowing of this at once humble and soul-stirring rekindler of faith.”—Chicago Tribune “A fascinating portrait of a man and a nourishing account of spiritual yearning.”—Booklist “This fast-paced and fascinating tale takes us on Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s pilgrimage from his grandmother’s knee in the Italian-Argentine community, through years of success and sorrow in the tumultuous country that he loved, to his surprise election as Pope Francis.”—Cokie Roberts, New York Times bestselling author of Capital Dames: The Civil War and the Women of Washington, 1848–1868 “All people of good faith, including those whose lives are not guided by religious beliefs, will be inspired and enlightened by the compelling manner in which Pilgrimage brings us closer to the heart and mind of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis. I highly recommend this book; it will make a difference in your life.”—Cardinal Seán O’Malley, OFM Cap.

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.

A Pope Francis Lexicon is a collection of over fifty essays by an impressive set of insightful contributors from around the globe, each writing on a specific word that has become important in the ministry of Pope Francis. Writers such as Sr. Simone Campbell, Cardinal Blase Cupich, Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, Fr. James Martin, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby, and Carolyn Woo explore the Pope’s use of words like joy, clericalism, money, family, and tears. Together, they reveal what Francis’s use of these words says about him, his ministry and priorities, and their significance to the church, the world, and the lives of individual Christians. The entire collection is introduced by a foreword by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide, and a preface by one of Francis’s closest advisors, Cardinal Seán O'Malley. This is no set of encyclopedia entries. It’s a reflective, inspiring, and often heartfelt book that offers engaging answers to the question “What is this surprising Pope up to?” Themes and Contributors: Volume foreword Patriarch Bartholomew Volume preface Cardinal Seán O'Malley, OFM Cap Baptism Cardinal Donald Wuerl Benedict XVI David Gibson Capitalism Bishop Robert McElroy Careerism Cardinal Joseph Tobin, C.Ss.R. Church Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig Clerical abuse Francis Sullivan Clericalism Archbishop Paul-André Durocher Collegiality Archbishop Mark Coleridge Conscience Austen Ivereigh Creation Orthodox Fr. John Chryssavgis Curia Massimo Faggioli Dialogue Archbishop Roberto González Nieves, OFM Dignity Tina Beattie Discernment Fr. James Martin, SJ Ecumenism Nontando Hadebe Embrace Simcha Fisher Encounter Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández Episcopal Accountability Katie Grimes Family Julie Hanlon Rubio Field Hospital Cardinal Blase Cupich Flesh Msgr. Dario E. Viganò Gossip Kaya Oakes Grandparents Bill Dodds Hagen Lio Fr. Manuel Dorantes Hope Natalia Imperatori-Lee Immigrant Sr. Norma Seni Pimentel, MJ Indifference Sr. Carmen Sammut, MSOLA Jesus Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, SJ Joy Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP Judgment Michael O'Loughlin Justice Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS Leadership Kerry Alys Robinson Legalism Sr. Teresa Forcades i Vila, OSB Martyrdom Bishop Borys Gudziak Mercy Archbishop Donald Bolen Miracles John Thavis Money Andrea Tornielli Periphery Carolyn Y. Woo Prayer Bishop Daniel E. Flores Reform Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, SDB Refugee Rhonda Miska Saint Francis Fr. Michael Perry, OFM Satan Gregory K. Hillis Second Vatican Council Archbishop Diarmuid Martin Service Phyllis Zagano Sheep Archbishop Justin Welby Sourpuss Fr James Corkery, SJ Tears Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle Throwaway culture Sr. Pat Farrell, OSF Women Astrid Lobo Gajiwala Worldliness Mollie Wilson O'Reilly Youth Jordan Denari Duffner

THE STORY BEHIND THE SCREENPLAY OF THE TWO POPES, THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING ANTHONY HOPKINS AND JONATHAN PRYCE (PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS THE POPE). From the Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of The Theory of Everything and Darkest Hour comes the fascinating and revealing tale of an unprecedented transfer of power, and of two very different men - who both happen to live in the Vatican. In February 2013, the arch-conservative Pope Benedict XVI made a startling announcement: he would resign, making him the first pope to willingly vacate his office in over 700 years. Reeling from the news, the College of Cardinals rushed to Rome to congregate in the Sistine Chapel to pick his successor. Their unlikely choice? Francis, the first non-European pope in 1,200 years, a one time tango club bouncer, a passionate soccer fan, a man with the common touch. Why did Benedict walk away at the height of power, knowing his successor might be someone whose views might undo his legacy? How did Francis - who used to ride the bus to work back in his native Buenos Aires - adjust to life as leader to a billion followers? If, as the Church teaches, the pope is infallible, how can two living popes who disagree on almost everything both be right? Having immersed himself in these men's lives to write the screenplay for The Two Popes, Anthony McCarten masterfully weaves their stories into one gripping narrative. From Benedict and Francis's formative experiences in war-torn Germany and Argentina to the sexual abuse scandal that continues to rock the Church to its foundations, to the intrigue and the occasional comedy of life in the Vatican, The Two Pope glitters with the darker and the lighter details of one of the world's most opaque but significant institutions.

A New York Times Best Seller 2017 Illumination Book Awards, Gold (tie): Children’s Picture Book 2017 Independent Press Awards, Distinguished Favorite: Book Cover Design, Children’s 2017 Catholic Press Association Book Awards, First Place: Children’s Books 2017 Catholic Press Association Book Awards, First Place: Pope Francis 2017 Association of Catholic Publishers’ “Excellence in Publishing Book Awards,” Book of the Year If you could ask Pope Francis one question, what would it be? Children have questions and struggles just like adults, but rarely are they given the chance to voice their concerns and ask the big questions resting deep in their hearts. In Dear Pope Francis, Pope Francis gives them that chance and celebrates their spiritual depth by directly answering questions from children around the world. Some are fun. Some are serious. And some will quietly break your heart. But all of them are from children who deserve to know and feel God’s unconditional love. Also available in Spanish as Querido Papa Francisco. "Feels akin to sitting in on a series of intimate conversations." -Publishers Weekly "The People's Pope shows that he is a down-to-earth man who understands both religion and children." -Kirkus Reviews