His book on Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is meticulous in its detail, generous in its viewpoints, and an altogether thorough summing-up of the man's life so far. It's not a biography as such, but it has plenty of biographical detail. Its main aim is to reveal how the Pope who apparently came from nowhere had lived his life in Argentina for the previous seven decades, and how that life contributed to his eventual election as Pope.
Vallely has interviewed the Pope's friends, co-workers, enemies and detractors in his attempt to uncover how Bergoglio ticks, and has been eminently successful. He never diminishes the Catholic and Christian background to the story, and many of the anecdotes and quotes show how Bergoglio's faith provides a strong foundation to his daily work.
Bergoglio was brought up in a Catholic home, one where he was strongly influenced by his faith-filled grandmother. An excellent scholar and conscientious worker, he felt drawn to a vocation in the priesthood, and ultimately joined that most rigorous of orders, the Jesuits. With his sharp intellect and strong leadership skills, he quickly rose up the ranks. But at some point - a change which Vallely discusses in detail - he focused more on humility than power, and this focus has continued as time has gone on.
He has always been an innovator, and a man with a heart for the poor, and for those needing justice, even though in his earlier years he was often accused of being too conservative. He has eschewed the pomp and shows of wealth that have beset the Catholic Church, and makes a habit of living simply. This has not changed since he became Pope, and he has quickly made a number of changes within the Vatican, and in regard to the papal lifestyle.
The late 1970s' ''Dirty War'', a dark period in Argentina's history, affected Bergoglio's reputation, and brought accusations on his head. Supposedly he didn't aid those struggling against the regime as well as he might: two Jesuit priests who were captured and tortured (but survived), claimed he hadn't tried to help them at all.
Vallely has dug beneath the surface of the accusations, and while Bergoglio himself admits he failed some people at this time, it's clear that behind the scenes he was working hard to keep as many people as he could from being captured, tortured and killed. More than once in the book, Bergoglio is quoted as saying that not only does he ask forgiveness for the sins and offences he might have committed, he asks forgiveness for the sins and offences that he did indeed commit. He never denies his failings.
It's not surprising that overseas reviewers have strongly endorsed the book, and I recommend it highly, too. However, the paperback version appears to have suffered from a lack of proofreading: there are some words missing, and one sentence on page 123 doesn't make sense at all. It's also slightly odd that the book's afterword is merely a 14-page abridged rendering of all that's gone before.
- Mike Crowl is a Dunedin writer, musician and composer.
