The book Bergoglio, sfida globale – il Papa delle periferie tra famiglia, giustizia sociale e modernità (Bergoglio, A Global Challenge: The Pope of the peripheries between the family, social justice and modernity) (published by Castelvecchi) was presented on January 19th in Rome at the Italian National Press Federation. These 186 pages are intended to offer an original portrait of the current pontificate, which is orientated, on the one hand, by the unity of all the Christian communities throughout the world and, on the other hand, the greater proximity with a social reality that is increasingly impoverished, at all levels, and more than ever needs to experience God's mercy.
At the presentation of the book, the author, Riccardo Cristiano, and, among others, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, reflected in depth on the contents of the text primarily focused on Pope Francis' new paradigm, centered essentially on the theme of the person and the family. This paradigm, summed up in the formula "mercy, peripheries, change," urges all people to a change of their hearts, while asking firstly Christians and secondly families to be models and witnesses of this change.
During the presentation, the participants also discussed the reach and effectiveness of Pope Francis' innovative work, the weight of the epochal challenges he has launched to the Church and the world, highlighting, too, the strong opposition of those who consider his openness a betrayal of the doctrine.
