Pope, plugging for books, reveals his love for tragedies

"How can we speak to the hearts of men and women if we ignore, set aside or fail to appreciate the 'stories' by which they sought to express and lay bare the drama of their lived experience in novels and poems," asked the pontiff in his July 17 letter to priests-to-be, published by the Vatican on Sunday. 

Pope Francis waves from the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during the Angelus prayer on August 4, 2024 in The Vatican. (AFP)