Soul, Mind, and Heart

Feast of St. Edward the Confessor

As we have just happily witnessed, the world is fixed on the papacy–thanks in part to Pope Francis! I am happy to announce that today, Our Sunday Visitor, made my new book on the three most recent popes available for free download. A short excerpt:

… I would like to look at our three most recent popes, who have been particularly compelling agents of Christ. These three popes have been genuine gifts to the Church in bringing Jesus to the world. This is hardly to suggest that there were not other popes throughout history who serve as sterling examples of how best to witness to Jesus Christ. Are there ever! And, to be sure, we’ve also sadly had a few “lemons” when it comes to popes, men who have failed to live up to the standard called for as a successor to Saint Peter (who himself had his obvious sins).

At the risk of an oversimplification, an easy way to think about these last three popes is this: the Soul, the Mind, and the Heart. The Church is meant to be the soul of the world, to put on the mind of Christ, and to reveal the heart of Jesus. I propose that we look at Pope John Paul II as emphasizing the soul of the Church, Pope Benedict XVI as highlighting the mind of the Church, and Pope Francis as giving priority to the heart of the Church.

Please download, read, and share with your friends. I hope this short book provides an insight into Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, and Pope John Paul II and serves as a reminder that Our Holy Father is always a unique agent for bringing us closer to Christ. Enjoy!