A Vision for Renewal: The Social Teaching of Pope Francis

The most important sign for the Church in this time of turbulent change is Pope Francis himself, writes Michael Casey OCSO. Francis is a sign not only through his personal style – and that is important – but mostly through his corpus of clear and consistent teaching. He writes with great simplicity and directness. He writes cumulatively, repeating and developing key ideas. His writings reflect his solid grasp of reality.

In this book, Michael Casey explores some key themes of the Pope’s social teaching – paradigm shift, joy, synodality, inclusivity, fraternity and our common home. He then considers the significance of these themes for religious life before sketching some of the challenges inherent in the Pope’s teaching. His reflections are not intended to provide a definitive analysis but to help readers further explore the issues in their own hearts and minds. 

Michael Casey OCSO, a monk of Tarrawarra Abbey near Melbourne, Australia, has been a popular retreat leader and author of spiritual books for half a century. After completing an MA and STL at KU Leuven in Belgium, he received his doctorate from the Melbourne College of Divinity for a study of desire for God in the writings of Bernard of Clairvaux. In 2022 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant’Anselmo in Rome. He is the author of many books including Grace: On the Journey to God, also published by St Pauls Publications.