Wouldn’t it be great to look up a word in the dictionary to see its significance and application during a pontificate? Well, this was the vision behind Salesian Father Antonio Carriero’s creation, «The Vocabulary of Pope Francis,» published by Elledici on the eve of the Jubilee Year.
This work also includes presentations by the Pope’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin; Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Mgr. Nunzio Galantino, secretary-general of the Italian bishops’ conference; and Father Antonio Spadaro, director of la Civiltà Cattolica.
The 300-page work, available in Italian, examines words which apply to Pope Francis’ work as Successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome. Looking at 50 words, Carriero brought together 50 Vatican journalists and writers who encounter the Holy Father’s discourses, homilies and documents almost daily.
The creators of the book hope to give some clarity to those who wish to have a better understanding of how each of these words relates to the Holy Father.
ZENIT correspondent Deborah Castellano Lubov was one of the 50 Vatican journalists asked to contribute to the book, and wrote the chapter on Creation. Through reflecting on the Pope’s attention to the environment, reflected in his encyclical ‘Laudato Si‘ and his words and gestures stressing the importance of Creation, she said the process was enlightening as she sought to draw together the most critical points to give a good overview.
«The Vocabulary of Pope Francis» is available in bookstores for less than 10 Euro.
Fr. Carriero, who collaborates with L’Osservatore Romano, Avvenire, and Vatican Insider, had expressed that he felt a work giving this sort of letter by letter overview was needed, but would have been too ambitious for one person to do alone, so he engaged these journalists to contribute. He also stressed how this book will also serve as a tool to understand Francis’ everyday language, including words we hear so often from him, like «normal,» «mercy,» and «periphery.»
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On the NET:
For those interested in buying the ‘Vocabolario,’ click here: http://www.elledici.org/ecom/article/05915-vocabolario-di-papa-francesco#.VnJ17LzCuT9
