Jesus loves the little children, and clearly Pope Francis does,
too. The handwritten letters and color drawings
from thirty children appear in Dear Pope Francis.
Many letters were collected, 259 to be exact,
from six continents, 26 countries, and written in 14 different languages. Each one selected for this book includes the
original handwritten letter, a color drawing, the English translation of the
message as well as a photo of the child, the person’s first name, his or her age,
and the country where they live.
Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., Director of La Civiltà Cattolica, brought the letters to the Pope and recorded
his answers to the children’s questions. Fr. Spadaro later transcribed the Pope’s
response to each one and that reply is included on the page opposite from the
original letter the child sent.
Check out this video clip to see and hear some of the great questions asked:
In a digital age, we sometimes forget the delight that can come
from writing and receiving a handwritten letter. It is my hope that reading these letters from
children and the Pope’s responses to them will help reignite people’s faith as
well as a fondness for the exchange of personal letters sent through snail mail.
I highly recommend this book for families to read with their children! Kids (and adults) will likely identify
with the questions posed and enjoy the drawings all the while getting a more
personal glimpse of Pope Francis and his love for children.
For more information about Dear Pope Francis or to order your own copy, click here.
For more information about Dear Pope Francis or to order your own copy, click here.
