“Listening to Another Person’s Voice”
The Role of Literature in Formation according to Pope Francis
Fearing that it may have gone unnoticed due to the typical distractions of the summer months, I would like to draw your attention to some key points from the Letter of the Holy Father on the role of literature in formation.
The document, published last July 17, is a true gem of the Magisterium. Initially intended only for candidates for the priesthood, the Pope later decided to extend it to everyone, without distinction. As we shall see, the power of literature is capable of shaping the growth of any individual, regardless of their life path.
More than fun
The Pope begins by challenging the idea that literature is nothing more than a divertissement among the many others available in today’s market. This is especially true in the context of priestly formation, where literature, with few exceptions, seems to play no significant role.
Francis calls for a reversal of this trend, arguing that “it is necessary to consider and promote the reading of great novels as an important part of priestly paideia” (23). For many, the answer to the following question is far from obvious: why should a Christian, particularly a seminarian, complement praying the Rosary with reading a classic like “Crime and Punishment”, or even a fantasy saga like “Harry Potter”?
Reading is good for your health!
One initial answer touches on a truth we all know, yet would do well to remind ourselves of: reading is good for you! “Many scientists argue that the habit of reading has numerous positive effects on people’s lives, helping them to acquire a wider vocabulary and thus develop broader intellectual abilities. It also stimulates their imagination and creativity” (16).
Beyond these objective psychological benefits, the Pope quotes Marcel Proust to affirm how reading novels allows us to enrich our experience in unique ways, offering a wealth of perspectives otherwise unattainable: “Novels unleash in us, in the space of an hour, all the possible joys and misfortunes that, in life, it would take us entire years to know even slightly […]” (18). Likewise, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “by reading the great works of literature, I become thousands of men, yet remain myself” (18).
Healing the emotions
On a deeper level, what literature can do for us is what the Pope calls “working to healing and enrich our responsiveness” (22). He refers to Christian writer T.S. Eliot, who denounced a widespread “emotional incapacity” as the root cause of today’s religious crisis—an “inability of so many of our contemporaries to be profoundly moved in the face of God, his creation and other human beings” (22).
In light of the ongoing discussions on the need for comprehensive human formation, especially for priesthood candidates, we should not underestimate literature’s ability to nourish our emotional intelligence, offering us an ever-deeper emotional grammar. This process, almost by osmosis, combines the pleasure and challenge that only good reading can provoke.
Reading, listening, discerning
The formative benefits of literature for the individual have direct implications for how we relate to others and discern reality. Quoting Jorge Luis Borges, the Pope defines literature as “listening to another person’s voice” (20)—a relational dynamic that allows us to step outside ourselves and thus enrich our understanding. The fruit of this relationship, built through reading, is “seeing through the eyes of others,” a C.S. Lewis quote the Pope uses to describe the growth in empathy that reading fosters. Only through this profound and sincere identification with others can we truly achieve “solidarity, sharing, compassion, and mercy” (34).
These two extremes—“listening to someone’s voice” and “seeing through someone else’s eyes”—mark both the beginning and the end of a formative journey that is accessible to all. Literature, as Pope Francis suggests, can prove to be a surprising means of salvation for many. Let us immerse ourselves in the stories woven by writers, and perhaps, in doing so, hope for a similarly unexpected and joyful ending to our own lives.