The Prevost Smile

Max Foley-Keene reports that author Colm Tóibín characterized the public demeanor of Pope Francis as a pivotal biographical shift in his 2021 investigation into the life of the pontiff. Tóibín described the smile offered by the new bishop of Rome during his 2013 appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s as a moment that signaled a transformation from a strict Jesuit disciplinarian to a winning pope.

Tóibín expressed suspicion regarding whether this geniality represented a sincere change of heart or a political tactic used to appeal to a wide audience.