In a letter recently translated into eight languages, Pope Francis argues that literature should not be dismissed as “a minor art” for its ability to stimulate empathy and counteract “the obsession with screens and toxic ‘fake news,'” superficial and violent.”
He Pope Francisco has written a letter in which he advises promoting reading novels and poems in the formation of future priests.
The head of the Catholic Church quotes authors such as CS Lewis (‘The Chronicles of Narnia’) and Marcel Proust (‘In Search of Lost Time’) along with poets such as Paul Celan, Jorge Luis Borges and TS Eliot in the letter called ‘On the role of literature in training’ which was written on July 17 and published in several languages on Sunday.
Hear someone else’s voice
Pope Francis writes that literature is “hear another person’s voice” and that, although often considered unnecessary for the formation of future priestspoints out this position as “sick“.
He adds that this approach can lead to a “serious intellectual and spiritual impoverishment” of the priests and calls for a “radical change of course. His words are not only addressed to the seminarians, but are crucial to “the formation of all those who dedicate themselves to pastoral careeven more so, of all Christians.”
The Pope’s letter quotes his own experience as a literature teacher in a Jesuit school in Santa Fe (Argentina) between 1964 and 1965: “I taught the last two years of high school and “I had to ensure that my students studied El Cid”dice.
What book did Pope Francis recommend to his students?
“The students They were not happy; They used to ask if they could read García Lorca instead. So I decided to have them read El Cid at home, and during classes he talked about the authors that the students liked the most.
And he adds that “there is nothing more counterproductive” than reading something by “sense of duty”, making “considerable effort simply because others have said it is essential.”
The Pontiff below shares his personal literary tastesciting his love for the tragics “because we can all embrace their works as our own, as expressions of our personal drama“.
And adds: “When weeping for the fate of his charactersdeep down we are crying for ourselves, for our own emptiness, shortcomings and loneliness.”
“Imaginative empathy”
It also mentions the benefits of readingincluding the stimulation of the imagination, the expansion of vocabulary and how it allows readers to develop a “imaginative empathy”.
He also describes literature as a kind of antidote to “our current incessant exposure to social networks, mobile phones and other devices”.
“I very much appreciate the fact that at least some seminars have reacted to the obsession with screens and for the ‘toxic, superficial and violent fake news dedicating time and attention to literature,” he writes.
“They have done it by reserving time for the quiet reading and discussing booksnew and old, who still have a lot to tell us”.
“We must never forget how dangerous it is to stop listening to the voices of others when they question us,” the Pope writes. “We immediately fell into self-isolation.”
‘Spiritual deafness’
“We entered a kind of ‘spiritual deafness’which has a negative effect on our relationship with ourselves and our relationship with God, no matter how much theology or psychology that we have studied.”
“We desperately need to counter this inevitable temptation to a frenetic and uncritical lifestyle “Stepping back, slowing down, taking time to look and listen,” he continues. “This can happen when a person simply stops to read a book.”
