by Christopher Lamb Published by Orbis Books, 2020. (USD 24.00) Reviewed by Ann Hassan

In The Outsider, Christopher Lamb (UK journalist and Rome correspondent for The Tablet) gives us a vision of Pope Francis’s papacy.

We get a sense of the man, an account of his desired reforms and a feel for life at the Holy See — but most of all we receive a detailed account of the oppressive weight of opposition to Francis from within the Church.

Lamb describes Francis’s singular position: post-Vatican II, but dealing with a reactionary shift away from the Council’s changes; the problematic situation of the “parallel papacy” of Benedict XVI. He describes the complex whirl of Vatican life, but also the political, social and economic forces at play — the heft of figures like Steve Bannon and the web of allegiances behind financial affairs.

At the end of the book Lamb offers a “Timeline of Opposition”, detailing the many efforts between 2013-2020 to thwart Francis’s efforts at reform. This is probably the most compelling aspect of the book — the sheer volume and regularity of obstructiveness makes convincing Lamb’s portrait of an embattled yet persistent Francis.

The Outsider will interest readers of Church history, those keen to know more about Pope Francis himself — and anyone musing on what might happen next.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 268 March 2022: 27