Pope Francis Writing Children's Book

Posted on November 24, 2015

Pope Francis is writing a children's book which will be published next spring by Loyola Press in Chicago. The book will be called Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World. Loyola Press is the publishing arm of the Jesuits.

The book will be a collection of drawings and letters from children all over the world, ages 6-13. The Pontiff receives many letters from children, so it was difficult to choose just 30 for the book. Each of the thirty letters and drawings will have a personal response from the Holy Father next to it.

Antonio Spadaro, SJ, and Tom McGrath of Loyola Press will edit the collection, which will be released on March 1, 2016 in hardcover in both Spanish and English. Tom McGrath spoke to The Chicago Tribune about the project. McGrath said they had to pore over 259 letters from children from 26 countries. It surprised him how direct the letters were, and also how serious the questions were. McGrath says some themes are apparent, with lots of questions about the afterlife, family and curiosity about the Holy Father himself.

McGrath said that the kids really just said what was on their minds, "They were were a lot worried about ecology, worried about why there's war. They wondered why there are people who are poor. Little kids have big questions." He described the Pope's answers "very charming and pastoral." He also commented on the children's artwork, as well as on their letters. He noted that the Pope really knows how to connect with children. But the best part of editing the book was that it gave him hope when he read the answers. So it sounds like adults will also benefit from the book and the Pope's thoughts on big questions that we all face today.

Dear Pope Francis: The Pope Answers Letters from Children Around the World is available for preorder at Amazon.com.