The Great Reformer

A biography exploring the making of a revolutionary leader who used his position’s power to challenge and redirect the world’s largest Christian church.

A Philadelphia Inquirer Best Book of the Year

“Consider this book the cornerstone of any collection on Pope Francis and twenty-first-century Christianity.” —Booklist (starred review)

Based on extensive interviews in Argentina and years of study of the Catholic Church, this biography provides never-before-explained context on how one man’s ambitious program began—and how it will likely end—through an investigation of Francis’s youth growing up in Buenos Aires and the dramatic events during the Perón era that shaped his beliefs; his ongoing conflicts and disillusionment with the ensuing doctrines of an authoritarian and militaristic government in the 1970s; how his Jesuit training in Argentina and Chile gave him a unique understanding and advocacy for a “Church of the Poor”; and his rise from cardinal to the papacy.

“In a graceful style, Ivereigh illuminates Bergoglio’s path. . . . His rigorous research unveils fascinating details and does not skip the controversies that intervened along the way.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

“A magnificent book. . . . A tour de force of biographical research and good judgement.” —Commonweal

“A meticulous and lovingly written biography that will please both knowledgeable and amateur readers.” —Library Journal