Book and DVD mark first anniversary of Francis' pontificate
(Vatican Radio) The Vatican Television Centre (CTV)and Italy’s best-selling weekly
magazine, Famiglia Cristiana, have teamed up to produce a book and a DVD marking the
first anniversary of Pope Francis’ pontificate. The DVD features images from some
of the highlights of the past year, including the pope’s visits to Brazil and the
Italian island of Lampedusa, but also footage from his meetings with the crowds here
in St Peter’s Square. There’s also some previously unpublished material from the
first moments following his election to the See of Peter. The Pope’s striking gestures
and heart-warming embraces are narrated by Italian actor Roberto Herlitzka who appears
in the Oscar winning film The Great Beauty. Among those presenting the initiative
at a press conference on Tuesday was the president of the Pontifical Council for Social
Communication, Archbishop Claudio Celli, who spoke of the way Pope Francis has “turned
a new page” in the media’s perception of the Catholic Church. Philippa Hitchen caught
up Archbishop Celli to talk about about the striking communications skills of the
first Latin American pope…
Listen:
“I think the
great capacity of Pope Francis is to create communicative events….when you look at
him, you don’t have only words and gestures – nice gestures and beautiful words –
but he has the capacity to create an event where the real point of reference is not
Pope Francis but the love of God for human beings, the merciful, tender love of God
for human beings…
In music you have only the same number of notes but can you
perceive what different melodies are written by different composers? Well Pope Francis
has the capacity, with the same notes of Jesus and of the Gospels, to play a melody
that is touching the hearts of human beings….this is an event and this is great…”
The
Italian volume, entitled 'Pope Francis: the Church of mercy' and the DVD, 'Francis:
a year of the pontificate' are for sale (€12.90) with the magazines Famiglia Cristiana
and Credere