Lev with a volume on the 800 years of the nativity scene at the book fair

Vatican News

The Book Fair opens tomorrow in Frankfurt, one of the most prestigious events in the sector, which will see, as usual, the presence of the Vatican Publishing House stand which among the volumes that characterize this year’s proposal stands out one dedicated to a future very significant anniversary for the life of the Church and culture: the 800 years since the first nativity scene, conceived and built by St. Francis of Assisi on Christmas 1223. For this reason, Lev is working on a book by Pope Francis entitled The Nativity. The characters are the symbols of the Holy Nightin which the Pontiff explains the meaning and the message of the various characters, physical and figurative, of the representation of the Nativity.

Francesco’s books

Another new book by Pope Francis is also making its debut in Frankfurt Walk together. Words and reflections on synodality, edited by Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops. It is an anthology that collects what the Pope affirmed and said on the theme of the Church listening and walking as the people of God from the moment of his election to the papal throne up to our days. A very important text that falls just as Francis is announcing the double appointment for the Synod on synodality, in October 2023 and October 2024.

Another text of the Pope is the one dedicated to the theology of the priesthood, According to God’s style. Reflections on the spirituality of the priest, in which Francis’ speech at the symposium on the theology of the priesthood held in recent months in the Vatican is presented, accompanied by the comments of Father Timothy Radcliffe and Father Luigi Maria Epicoco. The text is also enriched by some cards for meetings for the ongoing formation of the clergy.

Spirituality, ecology, fiction

Alongside these and other titles of Pope Francis and the recent magisterial documents drawn up by the various bodies of the Holy See, the Libreria Editrice Vaticana leads to the Buchmesse of Frankfurt some recent texts related to the care of creation, social life and spirituality. First of all, the new book by the French economist and Jesuit Gaël Giraud The gentle revolution of the ecological transition. How to build a possible future, which in Italy has already had an excellent response from sales and the press; in addition, the biography of the venerable Tonino Bello signed by Msgr. Domenico Cornacchia Witness and teacher of virtue. The Christian journey of Don Tonino Bello, already being translated into Polish. They will also be presented at the Book Fair Diversities reconciled. A Protestant in the Pope’s newspaper by Marcelo Figueroa, reverend of the Presbyterian community and director of the Argentine edition of L’Osservatore Romano, which will be published in Spanish and Portuguese, and Theological ethics of life. Writing, tradition, practical challenges, edited by Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

“A word deserve two recent publications that intersect the themes of literature and spirituality – explains Lorenzo Fazzini, editorial manager of the Vatican publishing library – The first, The weaving of the world, edited by Andrea Monda, director of L’Osservatore Romano, which collects texts by Pope Francis on the theme of the story in dialogue with great writers, writers and intellectuals from all over the world, from Donna Tart to Colum McCann, from Renzo Piano to Edna O’Brien. A text published by Lev in co-edition with Salani and which had an excellent reception among readers. The second one, The Word and the stories. Sixteen Italian writers read the parables of the Gospels, conceived by the curators of the women’s insert of L’Osservatore Romano, “Donne Chiesa Mondo”, in which some of the most famous Italian writers of today reread and let themselves be inspired by the Gospel parables to write stories themselves. These two publications attest that a renewed and fruitful synergy between literature and spirituality can be born in the publishing field, showing how contamination and cross-references that enrich faith and knowledge can arise between these two dimensions of the human being.