Pope Francis Among the Wolves: The Inside Story of a Revolution

289 Pages·2015·1.02 MB·English

by  Marco Politi

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Pope Francis Among the Wolves

Pope Francis
Among the Wolves

THE INSIDE STORY OF A REVOLUTION
Marco Politi
Translated by William McCuaig
Columbia University Press New York
Columbia University Press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
cup.columbia.edu
Francesco tra i lupi. Il segreto di una rivoluzione.
Copyright © 2014, Gius. Laterza & Figli. All rights reserved.
Translation copyright © 2015 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Politi, Marco.
[Francesco tra i lupi. English]
Pope Francis among the wolves : the inside story of a revolution /
Marco Politi ; translated by William McCuaig.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 978-0-231-17414-5 (cloth : alk. paper) —
isbn 978-0-231-54008-7 (electronic)
1. Francis, Pope, 1936- 2. Catholic Church—History—21st century.
I. Title.
BX1378.7.P6513 2015
282.092—dc23 2014046193
Columbia University Press books are printed on
permanent and durable acid-free paper.
This book is printed on paper with recycled content.
Printed in the United States of America
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Jacket design by Noah Arlow
References to websites (URLs) were accurate at the time
of writing. Neither the author nor Columbia University Press
is responsible for URLs that may have expired or changed
since the manuscript was prepared.
To Riccardo

A cardinal enters the Church of Rome, my brothers, not a royal
court. May all of us avoid, and help others to avoid, habits and
ways of acting typical of a court: intrigue, gossip, cliques, favor-
itism, and partiality.
—Pope Francis, homily, 23 February 2014

Contents
Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Translator’s Note xv
1. The Smell of the Sheep 1
2. Francis’s Fear 11
3. The Coup d’État of Benedict XVI 22
4. The Secrets of an Anti-Italian Conclave 34
5. The End of the Imperial Church 49
6. The Face of a Parish Priest 66
7. Walking with Unbelievers 79
8. The Hidden Women Priests 90
9. Death in Front of the Vatican 105
10. The Self-Critique of a Pope 117
11. The Program of the Revolution 126
12. St. Peter Had No Bank Account 139
13. The Enemies of Francis 159