Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has repeatedly praised the dignity of labour (in Buenos Aires, he once did a stint as a bouncer). Photograph: Christian SinibaldiThe cleverness of Pope Francis has been to advance the message of Christ simply by being human himself. “There is what one might call a turf war going on,” Austen Iverleigh, author of Pope Francis: The Great Reformer, explains. “I had the impression I taught them more than they did me.”As director of communications for an outspoken pope, one imagines Lombardi’s job became tougher with Pope Francis. Soon Pope Francis will descend the steps and faithful hands will grasp the air around him.

Source: The Guardian September 10, 2016 06:00 UTC