Excerpts from 'Our Father: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer,' released today.
As an editor at Penguin Random House, I had the great privilege of meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican in 2014 to present him with a special gift edition of The Joy of the Gospel, which we published that year. He was taller than I expected, and his eyes were lively and wide. As I put the book in his hands he smiled broadly and humbly, as if I was giving him a great treasure. We spoke for a couple of minutes and I distinctly remember feeling so comfortable being in his presence, as if I was speaking to my own father or grandfather.
Now a few years later, I’m beyond excited to be the editor of Pope Francis’ new book, which we are publishing on the fifth anniversary of his election to the papacy. Our Father: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer captures a spiritually invigorating and lively conversation Pope Francis had with prison chaplain Father Marco Pozza at the end of last year, while highlighting some of Francis’ most cherished teachings on forgiveness and benevolence. In the pages of the book, the pope not only provides great insights on a prayer that many of us often take for granted, but also offers touching personal stories from his younger days.