Francisco, a self-aware individual, wrestled persistently to conquer his personal shortcomings.
Javi Cercas, an admittedly staunch atheist and vocal critic of the church, found himself face-to-face with a one-of-a-kind offer - a chance to accompany Pope Francis on a mission to Mongolia, a predominantly Buddhist nation housing only about 1,500 Catholics. The proposal was nothing short of extraordinary; no writer had ever been given such unprecedented access. But, there was a catch - Cercas was expected to report on this journey without any restrictions or censorship.
You might catch a glimpse of: Javi Cercas, societal cruelty, AI, and the interplay between culture and state, over on our Book Fair streaming "Any sane writer would've jumped at the chance," he admits now, during an interview at the Buenos Aires Book Fair with Guillermo Pintos and Patricia Kolesnicov.
The result of this tempting offer, numerous conversations, and an arduous writing process gave rise to The Madman of God at the End of the World, a book that, according to Cercas himself, is a novel.
Hint: 40 years since its premiere, "Waiting for the Carriage" returns to theaters, and we're hosting special events "I am atheist, anti-clerical, a militant layman, a rigid unbeliever, an obstinate heathen," the opening pages declare. From the start, his stance is clear. Yet, this hasn't stopped him from expressing genuine curiosity about Francis.
"He was the first pope in many ways," he explains in this dialogue. "The first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope, and also the first pope named, surprisingly, Francis. That choice speaks volumes about him. Francis after Francis of Assisi, who ally himself 'the madman of God'. And I, the narrator: the madman without God, like so many others."
Must-read: Keys to an inclusive and united Argentina in the new book by Martín Redrado and José Urtubey "I set out on this journey to query Pope Francis if my mother would meet my father beyond death, and to bring her his response (...) Here I am, a godless man in pursuit of the man of God until the end of the earth," he writes.
Key topics for discussion: Javi Cercas, Pope Francis, Faith, Book Fair, book recommendations "He was the first pope in many ways," he says. "The first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope, and also the first pope called, oddly, Francis. That decision carries a lot of weight. Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, who referred to himself as 'the madman of God'. And, as the narrator, I am the madman without God, much like many others," he explains.
Cercas was at home when he heard about Francis' passing. "I was smothered by a landslide of journalists," he recalls. They all wanted his opinion. At one point, he imagined it: "He was a man with fragile health for a long time. He had a portion of his lung removed young, so he couldn't be what he desired, a missionary. He was an older man. It had to happen at some point."
A candid reflection: Regrets and reflections on Pope Francis' passing "Though it wasn't surprising, I regretted it. I felt it as a loss," he confesses. "This book has transformed everything: my view of the Church, Christianity, the world, myself."
For the author of books like Anatomy of an Instant and The Imposter, the man who stirred such emotion in recent days was actually two entities: "One is Bergoglio the individual, then there's the pope. They overlap, but they're separate. My impression was that he was an ordinary guy, a man of flesh and blood. Initially, you thought: 'This guy is the pope.' But then, you forget."
"If I had to define him - the writer risks - I would say a man in a constant struggle with himself. Nothing like the flat and dull portrayal given by the media. A man intensely aware of his own imperfections and weaknesses who fought to the end to be the best he could be".
Memorable moments: Bergoglio's appointment as pope in the Sistine Chapel "I allow myself the liberty to correct you: he should have said: 'yes, because I am a sinner'. The Church is not a place for the wealthy and successful; it is a sanctuary for the unfortunate. Christ didn't select Superman as pope; he selected Peter, who betrayed him three times in one afternoon. Almost a record."
Cercas recounted that initially, there were priests praying for Francis' demise, both in Rome and Spain. He questioned if this pope was a revolutionary: "If by revolution we understand that this man altered Christian doctrine, it is false. He changed nothing. But if we view revolution as a shift in perspective, the situation is entirely different."
"This pope was criticized everywhere. He faced significant opposition," he points out. "For example, from the beginning of his papacy, even from Spain, there were priests who gathered to pray for his death."
A candid assessment: Francis, revolution, and religious progress "This pope is the first to be a son of the Second Vatican Council, which proposed a great revolution: to return to primitive Christianity, the Church of the poor." Although he made no doctrinal changes, he aimed to restore primitive Christianity - Christ's church.
"If I had to condense his papacy, it has been an attempt to return to primitive Christianity," concluded the Spanish author.
The accidental vandalism of a USD 60 million Rothko painting, and our ongoing Book Fair coverage of Javi Cercas, Mempo Giardinelli, and other notable figures
Related Topics
- Javi Cercas
- Pope Francis
- Faith
- Mongolia
- Book Fair
- Book Recommendations
- Christianity
- Catholicism
- Second Vatican Council
- Revolution
- Power Struggles
- Clergy Criticism
- Anti-clericalism
- Atheism
- St. Francis of Assisi
- Javi Cercas, an atheist and critic of the church, wrote a book about his journey with Pope Francis, titled "The Madman of God at the End of the World", which he describes as a novel.
- Cercas, during an interview at the Buenos Aires Book Fair, expressed genuine curiosity about Pope Francis and their conversation led to the book.
- Pope Francis, according to Cercas, is a revolutionary in the sense that he aims to restore primitive Christianity, just like St. Francis of Assisi, who referred to himself as 'the madman of God'.
- Cercas, in his book, also expressed his thoughts on Pope Francis as a man intensely aware of his own imperfections and weaknesses, fighting to be the best he could be.
