Dear Pope Francis

One of the things that I love about technology and social media is how accessible the world around us has become. In minutes anyone can send a “DM” to an idol or someone they want to work with. Friendships and bonds can be formed from worlds away, and I love that.

This feeling is what makes Dear Pope Francis one of the most adorable books I read in 2018. In this book, young children write Pope Francis letters and draw him pictures, and he replies with letters of his own.

From deep, doctrinal questions to inquiries like “why do you wear your funny hat” this book is thoughtful, sweet, and moving. Pope Francis offers straightforward, “kid-friendly” answers to lighter and more hard-hitting topics alike. You can tell that he took the time to appreciate these letters and to respond intentionally.

It is a quick read, and one that you can pick up or put down at anytime, jumping back and forth to whichever specific letter you’d like to read. The illustrations in this book are all done by the children who wrote to Pope Francis, and I love every one of them. Also included with each letter is a small photo of the writer, and seeing their sweet faces made this book all the more endearing.

I’d recommend this book to Catholic and non-Catholic readers alike; it is just a sweet book. Discussing faith or belief systems with children can be a very important conversation, and this book certainly has the potential to raise questions, which is fantastic (!), but something to be aware of before picking this one up. Catholic or not, it is hard to to feel at least a few warm-fuzzy feelings as the Pope addresses some of the youngest of his faith.