Francis of Rome and Francis of Assisi: A New Springtime for the Church

by Leonardo Boff, Dinah Livingstone (Translator)

In his choice of a name, did Pope Francis also indicate an agenda, a vision, and a sense of mission? As Leonardo Boff observes, the spirit of St. Francis, the most beloved of all saints, invites the church to embrace the poor, to promote peace, and to adopt an ecological consciousness. In embracing these values, Pope Francis has unleashed enormous hopes.

In this enthusiastic work, Boff explores the connections between the two Francises--and the promise they hold for the church and the world today.

Genres: Religion, Biography, Nonfiction, Catholic

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Leonardo Boff, born as Genézio Darci Boff, in Concórdia, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on the December 14, 1938. He is the grandson of Italian immigrants from the region of Veneto who came to Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in the final part of the nineteenth century. He received his primary and secondary education in Concórdia - Santa Catarina, Rio Negro - Paraná, and Agudos - São Paulo. He studied Philosophy in Curitiba - Paraná and Theology in Petrópolis - Rio de Janeiro. He joined the Order of the Franciscan Friars Minor in 1959 and received his doctorate in Philosophy and Theology from the University of Munich - Germany, in 1970.
For 22 years he was the professor of Systematic and Ecumenical Theology at the Franciscan Theological Institute in Petrópolis. He has served as a professor of Theology and Spirituality in various centers of higher learning and universities in Brazil and the rest of the world, in addition to being a visiting professor at the universities of Lisbon (Portugal), Salamanca (Spain), Harvard (United States), Basel (Switzerland), and Heidelberg (Germany).
He was present in the first reflections that sought to articulate indignance toward misery and marginalization with discourse, which later generated the Christian faith known as Liberation Theology. He has always been an ardent of the Human Rights cause, helping to formulate a new, Latin American perspective on Human Rights with, “Rights to Life and the ways to maintain them with dignity.”
He has received honorary doctorates, in Politics from the University of Turin (Italy) and in Theology for the University of Lund (Sweden). He has also been honored with various awards, within Brazil and the rest of the world, for his struggles on behalf of the weak, the oppressed and marginalized, and Human Rights.
From 1970 until 1985 he participated in the editorial council of Editora Vozes. During this time he participated in the coordination and publication of the collection, “Theology and Liberation” and the entire edition of the works of C. G. Jung. He was Editor-in-chief of “Revista Eclesiástica Brasileira” from 1970 to 1984, of “Revista de Cultura Vozes” from 1984 to 1992, and of “Revista Internacional Concilium” from 1970 to 1995.
In 1984, he was submitted to a process by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, former Holy Office, in the Vatican. This was due to his theses linked to liberation theology exposed in his book "Church: Charism and Power. In 1985 he was condemned to “obsequious silence” and was removed from his editorial functions and suspended from religious duties. Due to international pressure on the Vatican, the decision was repealed in 1986, allowing him to return to some of his previous activities.
In 1992, under renewed threats of a second punitive action by authorities in Rome, he renounced his activities as a priest and ‘promoted himself the state of laity.’ “I changed trenches to continue the same fight.” He continues as a liberation theologian, writer, professor, widely hear conference speaker in Brazil among other countries, also as an adviser of social movements of liberating popular matrix, as the Landless Movement and the Base Ecclesial Communities (CEBs), between others.
In 1993 he was selected as professor of Ethics, Philosophy of Religion and Ecology at the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ).
On December 8, 2001 he was honored with the alternative Nobel prize, “Right Livelihood Award” in Stockholm, Sweden.
He presently lives in Jardim Araras, an ecological wilderness area on the municipality of Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro. He shares his life and dreams with the defender/educator of Human Rights from a new ecological paradigm, Marcia Maria Monteiro de Miranda. He has also become the “father by affinity” of a daughter and five sons, sharing the joys and sorrows of responsible parenthood. He lives, accompanies and recreates the unfolding of life in the “grandkids” Marina, Eduardo and Maira.

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sympathetic look at Pope Francis from the perspective of Saint Francis and liberation by a well-known Brazilian liberation theologian. I was pleasantly surprised at the hope that Leonardo Boff places in Pope Francis. Boff does much to contrast Pope Franics with his two immediate predecessors, which can get a little disconcerting. But this is a book worth a read.

[Maria Carmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leonardo Boff writes about Saint Francis with his plan to rebuild the Church purifying it from the Faust and excesses that characterizes it during the reign of Pope Innocent the Third - and then compares it to Pope Francis, the first to chose Saint Francis name, a Pope who came from the "end of the world" but declined honours and palaces and calls himself only "Bishop of Rome!
A beautiful, inspiring book.

Maria Carmo,

Lisbon, 01 August 2014.

[R. Allain · Rating 4 out of 5]

To the age-old question, "What's in a name?," author Leonardo Boff explains, in the case of Pope Francis, a lot indeed. And as the story is recounted, as the actual vote to select a pope was being counted - and the upstart Argentinian leading - Bishop Claudio Hummes implored him: "Don't forget about the poor." The impending victor was moved - and thus selected "Francis," in homage to St. Francis, as his papal name. And in author Boff's masterful hands, one swiftly notes the spiritual connection between the two Francises is deep and enduring. The saint's famous love of nature, for example, in this Pope has become a veritable crusade of curtailing global warming and reclaiming "the trash heap" much of God's emerald-blue earth has become. And most essentially perhaps, is the Assisi saint's bold, unadorned - almost vagabondish, love of God and the poor. And to a Vatican and the organized religion it oversees, a realm replete with endless artifacts, masterpieces and, of course, the Vatican Museum, to identify with the poor borders on the scandalous. And who better to reveal the significance of a chosen name than Leonardo Boff, himself a life-long advocate of a more inclusive, compassionate - and dare I say, radical (in terms of challenging an unjust status quo) Church his entire life?

[Mouska Mousekewitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like Boff wants a humble Church without being able to muster an ounce of humility in his take on Catholics that don’t have the same read on the Church as he does. I wish the model of St Francis’s relationship to and with Pope Innocent III would invite reflection about how tj criticize and push the Church to be as committed to the poor as it says it is without it feeling like a chance to mock Latin Rite Catholics and Pope Benedict.

[June Rey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello everyone. Im new of this apps, but I really want to read this book. But it has no free reading here. Please help me to get this book because this is one of my primary source of my thesis in theology.

[Robert Showers · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminds me of why I do not like reading Leonardo Boff - he had about 12 pages worth of stuff to say but turned it into a full book by repeating himself over and over.

[Rita Andres · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, by the Theologian Leonardo Boff, focused on the many similarities between Pope Francis and his namesake Saint Francis.

[Peter Ralston · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure that the author is honest about either St. Francis or Pope Francis.

[Karen! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish that I could give this book 0 stars.

1. The author is a complete douche: "Anyone who knows some church history--and we professionals in this area have to study it in detail--is not surprised..." Okay, buddy. Drop the shenanigans. If you weren't a "professional" I doubt you would have gotten this book published. Also...I can't imagine that you studied all that hard, because

2. The author contradicts himself all the time: "Many have wondered whether, since the present Pope Francis comes from Latin America, he is a supporter of liberation theology. The question is irrelevant." (page 76) only to say later that Francis's ability to understand the poor and their issues is "the registered trade mark of liberation theology" (page 137) and goes on to imply that it is only through this "upbringing" that Francis will be able to "repair the church." As though lacking conviction in your opinions were not annoying enough...

3. The author demonizes previous Popes in an attempt to elevate Pope Francis. Even Pope John Paul II is not safe from the author's wrath. I'm so very glad that the author has taken the peaceful, forgiving example of Francis to heart.

4. The author does very little to actually compare the two or discuss the actual, real life reasons for the Pope's choice of name. He speculates. Poorly.

5. The author makes stuff up, namely the last 8 pages which are a "message" from Saint Francis if he lived today...blech.

Read a different biography that actually has some, you know, facts.

[Brendan Sheehan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short little read comparing Pope Francis to his namesake. I was very excited because I’ve heard that Leonardo Boff is a great writer of liberation theology. While this book had some truly beautiful passages and speaks to what the Church can and should be, I felt the book’s chapters were quite repetitive. Every ten pages would have the messages of Pope Francis is from the periphery not the European center, the Vatican and it’s Curia must be reformed, Pope Francis is for the poor. Great ideas but I think it lost some of the persuasive power in it. This also was written very early in Pope Francis’ papacy, which of course has not been without issue.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should add that I am a devout Catholic before I get into my review.

I checked this book out with high hopes, but I was disappointed. The first section of the book, while thought-provoking, really has nothing to do with Pope Francis or Francis of Assisi. And when the author finally gets back on track, he repeats himself time and time again by saying how similar the two are.... It is the title of the book...it does not need to be said three times per tiny chapter.

Ultimately, I grew annoyed and couldn't finish this. I am moving on to The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis instead.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brought new insight into the Catholic Church and where we are headed. Pope Francis is the best thing that has happened to the church since Vatican II. I prayer his endeavors to bring the church forward and right the wrongs will come soon.

[Catherine Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonardo Boff really brings out the personalities of Francis of Rome and Francis of Assisi very vividly. His comparison is right on! An excellent book to really ponder. I'm looking forward even more to reading Pope Francis Encyclical on the Envoriment which I will start tomorrow.

[Baggy Gutiérrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conocerlo es quererlo

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

New hope for the Catholic Church? Maybe. Well written, well documented.