‘Pope Francis’ documentary is a moving portrait of a man of faith

An absorbing, inspiring movie is hitting theaters that introduces viewers to a swashbuckling global superhero who, although familiar to millions of fans, still has layers of humility, courage and humor to reveal.

No, it’s not the guy with a Wookiee. “Pope Francis: A Man of His Word” offers audiences a thoroughly engrossing portrait of one of the most beloved and galvanizing figures of the 21st century, the pontiff who started out as an Argentine Jesuit and now leads the Catholic Church with the compassion and quiet activism of his namesake saint.

Following Francis as he travels the globe visiting migrant camps, prisons, hospitals and gatherings of the faithful, German filmmaker Wim Wenders gives viewers a vivid sense of what it’s like to be in the presence of a spiritual rock star, a man of enormous reach and power who has nonetheless adopted a life of relative simplicity amid the splendor and riches of the Vatican, and who possesses a healthy dose of self-deprecating wit.

He is greeted with tears, smiles and even hugs everywhere he goes. Meanwhile, in sternly worded speeches at the United Nations or the Roman Curia, he scolds the rich and powerful for hoarding the globe’s resources and issues an encyclical warning against environmental waste destruction.

It’s no surprise that Francis is controversial with conservatives in the Catholic hierarchy. But “Pope Francis” underlines how his teachings are firmly grounded in the life of St. Francis. Still, as moving as the pope’s words are, Wenders misses an opportunity to ask genuinely probing questions about such topics as the pope’s role in Argentina’s political history, and what is being done regarding the church’s sexual abuse scandal. (We get little more on that subject than stern rhetoric about “zero tolerance.”)

As uncritical as “Pope Francis” is, it’s impossible not to share the filmmaker’s unbridled admiration for the man at its center, where he evangelizes most effectively by comforting the sick, laying healing hands on those who suffer and, during the film’s most moving sequence, washing and kissing the feet of prisoners he meets in Philadelphia. Rather than showy pietism, the film convincingly suggests, these gestures are steeped in sincerity and humble service.

“Never take a proselytizing attitude,” Pope Francis warns. “Never.” In this stirring portrait, it’s possible to see evangelism not in hectoring words or holier-than-thou bromides, but in loving action. Who wouldn’t say Amen to that?

This story was originally published May 17, 2018 at 11:47 AM with the headline "‘Pope Francis’ documentary is a moving portrait of a man of faith."