The Reading Warehouse

Two thousand years ago Jesus said, Follow me. What if the twenty-first-century church actually heeded that call? What would the world look like if the church were truly on the move? Simply put, very different. But these ponderings beg one more critical question: What exactly should the church be moving toward?

In Walking with Jesus: A Way Forward for the Church, Pope Francis' own words lead us to the answer. Francis urges us to make Jesus central in our individual lives and in the collective life of the church-to walk toward him, and ultimately to walk with him at all times and in all places.

Walking with Jesus offers the church a much-needed way forward, past its inner and outer walls, as it fearlessly follows Christ toward the future.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, is the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church, having been elected bishop of Rome and absolute sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained a priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and a cardinal in 2001. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013, on March 13, 2013, the papal conclave elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first from the southern hemisphere, and the first non-European pope since Pope Gregory III, 1,272 years earlier. Throughout his life, both as an individual and as a religious leader, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. Pope Francis has published a compilation of his teachings in two volumes, entitled The Simple Wisdom of Pope Francis: Hold On to Hope, Volume 1, and The Simple Wisdom of Pope Francis: The Joy of Evangelization. He also published his first encyclical entitled The Light of Faith: Lumen Fidei, which is available in English and Spanish. Pope Francis has captured the attention of the world with his simple ways, humbleness, and love for the poor and sick.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, is the 266th and current pope of the Catholic Church, having been elected bishop of Rome and absolute sovereign of Vatican City. Born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was ordained a priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He became archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and a cardinal in 2001. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013, on March 13, 2013, the papal conclave elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first from the southern hemisphere, and the first non-European pope since Pope Gregory III, 1,272 years earlier. Throughout his life, both as an individual and as a religious leader, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. Pope Francis has published a compilation of his teachings in two volumes, entitled The Simple Wisdom of Pope Francis: Hold On to Hope, Volume 1, and The Simple Wisdom of Pope Francis: The Joy of Evangelization. He also published his first encyclical entitled The Light of Faith: Lumen Fidei, which is available in English and Spanish. Pope Francis has captured the attention of the world with his simple ways, humbleness, and love for the poor and sick.

Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.