Pope Francis: A Man of His Word
A Jesuit priest from Argentina, Pope Francis has had a global influence on millions across the world, across various religions and ethnicities. He has challenged conventional Catholic teachings to bring forth a more progressive movement within the Vatican. Now, director Wim Wenders’ new documentary “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” aims to showcase the humanity behind the controversial spiritual figure, and fortunately, succeeds in all fronts, creating an engrossing, uplifting, and inspiring portrait of one of the most powerful leaders on the planet.
“Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” explores the many sides of Pope Francis, from his humblest to his strictest. We get a glimpse into his views on equality, poverty, the environment, mortality, and so much more. The documentary is composed primarily of direct interviews with the Pope himself as he provides thorough, enlightening explanations regarding what he believes in. It’s also nice to see that 90% of the film is spoken in Spanish, providing a sense of authenticity. The majority of English spoken is from the narrator, who is admittedly somewhat soulless in his narration and thus doesn’t provide anything interesting.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected as the first Jesuit pope back in 2013, and has since garnered much controversy with many of his ideologies going against traditional Catholic teachings. From accepting homosexuals as brothers to claiming Hell as nonexistent to accepting science as the proper method of understanding the universe rather than creationism, Pope Francis has become a popular figure in the progressive movement. The film doesn’t shy away from showing us why he believes in such ideologies.
We learn that he’s the first pope to utilize the name Francis, the previous one being Saint Francis of Assisi back in the late 12th and early 13th Centuries. At the time, Francis focused much of his work on poverty and understanding the nature of God’s creation, aka the Universe in which we exist in. Pope Francis today derives much of his teachings from Saint Francis, exclaiming that poverty is central to the gospel and that religion and science must work as one in order to understand the very nature of reality. This backstory, and much more, help us get a better understanding of who Pope Francis is and what he stands for.
In doing so, we develop a deep, personal relationship with Pope Francis as he’s speaking right into the camera, as if directly speaking to us. It acts as less of a documentary and more as an interview, giving us insight into his teachings. He provides us with wisdom, knowledge, and understanding regarding a wide range of subject matter, from his disapproval of pedophilia, to his quest to conquer climate change, and even a loving friendship with science.
However, it does disappoint me when the only background information given to Pope Francis is archive footage of him giving a lecture in 1990 in Buenos Aires. In fact, the film does seem to brush over some relevant topics either quickly or completely. For instance, we never get any information regarding the Hell controversy nor does the homosexuality debate get mentioned all that much. It’s mentioned once during a speech he gives and that’s about it. It would’ve certainly benefited the film if it had been about 20 minutes longer.
Overall, “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” is an enlightening, inspiring window into the mind of one of the most progressive, powerful, and popular spiritual leaders on earth. Despite a tendency to hasten its runtime, it nonetheless gets the message across and inspires us to enjoy life, aim for a better world, and strive for peace and cooperation. In essence, remember to “love thy neighbor.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgNxtwBkIR4&t=1s&w=585