29 April, 2013 - The first Asian edition of Pope Francis’ biography was released
last week by Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay. The book titled
"Francis, Pope of a New World,” published by the Asian Trading Corporation (ATC),
was released in Bangalore on Thursday. The low-cost Asian edition of the biography
in English provides keys to understanding a relatively unknown cardinal as a surprise
and even a revolutionary choice. It explains why the cardinal electors of the Catholic
Church set aside political and diplomatic calculations to elect a pope to lead the
renewal and purification of the worldwide Church. In addition, there is also a background
on Benedict's resignation and the process of electing Pope Francis. The biography
is authored by a Vatican expert, Andrea Tornielli, an Italian who is acclaimed as
the best-sourced, most accurate and one of the most knowledgeable reporters among
the unique band of experts on the Vatican who travel with the Pope. Cardinal Gracias
released the biography on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Holy
Ghost Church at the Redemptorists Seminary Grounds in Bangalore. Cardinal Gracias,
along with three other Indians, was among the world’s 115 cardinal electors who participated
in the Conclave that chose Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos
Aires, as head of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13. The Jesuit Pope assumed the
name Francis, after Italy’s renowned patron saint Francis of Assisi, a man of utter
humility and poverty. Cardinal Gracias has been recently chosen by Pope Francis to
be part of an 8-member cardinals group to advise him on the central government of
the Catholic Church. It was also an occasion to release "The Holy Bible (Revised
Standard Version - Second Catholic Edition)," a recent revision of an acclaimed Bible
translation in English. (Source: CCBI)