On August 4, Pope Francis published a letter encouraging a renewed love for reading. Reading good literature, he said, has the power to educate the ‘heart and the mind’ and lead one on the ‘path to personal maturity.’ Initially targeted at men training to be priests, Pope Francis’ letter acknowledges that this message – the valuing of good literature – is one that all of us need to hear.

In his letter, Pope Francis mentions a number of benefits that reading affords, including an enrichment of vocabulary, a stimulation of the imagination and creativity, an improvement in concentration, a reduction in cognitive decline, and an easing of stress and anxiety. He describes finding a good book or a good poem comparable to locating an ‘oasis’ where new interior spaces can be found that facilitate self-knowledge and personal growth. He goes on to say that ‘in moments of weariness, anger, disappointment or failure’, reading can help us ‘weather the storm’ and find peace.  

Pope Francis mentions another very critical benefit of reading good literature and that is it enables us to see life from the perspective of others. ‘We must never forget how dangerous it is to stop listening to the voice of other people when they challenge us.’ He quotes the wonderful writer C.S. Lewis when he says, reading a good book allows us to see ‘through the eyes of others’, thus gaining a breadth of perspective that broadens our humanity. ‘In reading great literature’, Lewis says, ‘I become a thousand men and yet remain myself.’

In reflecting on his time spent teaching literature as a young man, Pope Francis acknowledges that it was then that he discovered the profound connection between literature and our deepest desires. He quotes the German theologian, Karl Rahner who saw a profound spiritual affinity between priest and poet. For Rahner, the words of the poet are like ‘gates into infinity, gates into the incomprehensible. They stretch out to what cannot be grasped.’ Pope Francis closes his letter with a quote from one of my favourite poets – Romanian-born Paul Celan: ‘Those who truly learn to see, draw close to what is unseen.’

Clare Murphy

English Coordinator and Literacy Instructional Coach