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“Leo XIV: Portrait of the First American Pope,” written by Matthew Bunson, vice president and editorial director at EWTN News. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
CNA Staff, May 23, 2025 / 17:14 pm (CNA).
EWTN officially launched the first authoritative biography of Pope Leo XIV, which is available for purchase now, during an event at the Vatican on May 22.
“Leo XIV: Retrato do Primeiro Papa Americano”, written by Matthew Bunson, vice president and editorial director at EWTN News, tells the story of Chicago-born Cardeal Robert Prevost, who was eleito o novo Santo Padre a 8 de maio.
Bunson, a Church expert and longtime Vatican journalist who has written over 50 books, said at the book launch at the Campo Santo Teutonico in Rome that Leo’s diverse experience as a pastor, prior general, missionary and bishop in Peru, and as a cardinal have given him a profound understanding of the global Church.
Pope Leo XIV, in his first weeks as pope, has also proven to be a unifying figure who has brought with him an “uncompromising emphasis on the divine person of Jesus Christ,” Bunson continued.
“He is a universal person. He is someone in the world, but not of the world. He is somebody who, by his call to the priesthood and to the life of the Augustinians, embarked on an absolutely stunning journey,” Bunson said May 22.
“And what is so remarkable about it is that as time progressed leading up to the conclave, more and more cardinals came to appreciate exactly who he is and why he was, at this moment in time, the person that they felt they could trust with the keys of Peter.”
The biography paints a picture of Pope Leo XIV as a Christ-centered, Augustinian-influenced, and competent leader who is expected to prioritize unity, clarity, and the application of Catholic social teaching, particularly concerning the dignity of the human person in an era of rapid technological change.
Bunson has previously said that he hopes the book will help inform readers about the importance of Pope Leo’s membership in the venerable Ordem de Santo Agostinho, and the fact that he is both a mathematician and canon lawyer will help him address the Vatican’s problemas financeiros.
Additionally, Bunson’s book touches on some of the moral and theological issues currently being debated in the Church and public arena, and also discusses the significance of the choice of the name “Leo” and what that says about the pope’s vision for his pontificate.
Michael Warsaw, CEO e presidente do conselho de administração da EWTN, disse à CNA que está “entusiasmado por a EWTN Publishing estar a lançar esta biografia do Papa Leão XIV tão pouco tempo após a sua eleição”.
“Como principal plataforma mediática católica, o nosso objetivo é partilhar a história do Santo Padre com o mundo, começando pela sua vida inicial, para ajudar as pessoas a ligarem-se ao homem que serve agora como vigário de Cristo”, disse Warsaw.
“A EWTN está numa posição única para publicar esta biografia do primeiro papa nascido nos Estados Unidos e o segundo papa das Américas. Tal como o Papa Leão, a família EWTN é global, mas as nossas raízes são americanas.”
The book about Leo’s life is available to order no Catálogo Religioso da EWTN.