Pope Francis is a pope of firsts: "First Latin American pope... first Jesuit... first non-European-born pope in more than a thousand years... first pope to take the moniker of St. Francis of Assisi, champion of the poor." Therefore, it is fitting that this refreshingly approachable Bishop of Rome would agree to be intimately profiled inside the Vatican.
Images of the Vatican's ornate, breathtaking beauty enhance insightful commentaries about the city and its historical traditions. Moving, candid photographs of Pope Francis reflect his humble mission of mercy, his life and how his papal presence has re-energized the Catholic Church and faith. Together, Draper and Yoder have captured the "intersection between place and culture." Catholics and non-Catholics will be intrigued viewing what the international press calls a "reformer... radical... revolutionary" pope at the helm of a religious institution in transition. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines