Open Mind, Faithful Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus

These challenging meditations on the scriptures provide valuable insight into how Pope Francis understands the person of Jesus and the Christian calling. Anticipating his retirement as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio gathered together his most probing reflections on the meaning of Christian discipleship. In these profound texts Cardinal Bergoglio draws on the Gospels and the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius to explain how all Christians are called to follow Jesus in the struggle to make God’s reign a reality on earth.

"The secret of Pope Francis is found in this book." —Bishop Martínez Camino

Much is being said and written about him. To understand Pope Francis more deeply, read what he himself has published—now in English for the first time.

"These deeply spiritual reflections on how we follow Jesus make the perfect holiday gift, and an ideal choice for daily spiritual reading. Open Mind, Faithful Heart reveals like no other book the depths of Pope Francis’ deep faith, joy, and compassion. It is “not just for reading. It is a path for prayer and a guide for life." —Joseph V. Owens, S.J., translator.

Pope Francis connects with people, especially the young, the forgotten, and the forlorn. The cameras show him in Rome, in Brazil, in Lampedusa reaching out to the crowds, holding infants, embracing the disabled. What is the source of his energy, and his spiritual vitality? This book is perhaps the best introduction to what makes the Pope the engaging pastor he is.

The inspiration needed to address the urgent challenges to our world and human living today is clearly outlined in this book. The spiritual foundation for much of what Pope Francis has surprised the world with since his election, radically reframing the Catholic contribution, is found in these texts which their author wished to gather just before expecting to retire—but then being called to Rome instead. Open Mind, Faithful Heart offers an irreplaceable window into the heart and soul of the pope who is changing how the world sees the Church.

The strong scriptural orientation of the Pope is evident in the countless references to both the Old and New Testament. To help the reader, this edition supplements the original text by providing scriptural citations. The language of these pages speaks to the heart as much as to the mind.