Documentary on Pope Offers Insight into Time's 2013 'Person of the Year'

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Dec 17, 2013, 04:00 ET

ROME, Dec. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Knights of Columbus:

A new documentary on the life of Pope Francis is helping the public learn more about Time magazine's 2013 "Person of the Year."

A new documentary, "Francis: The Pope From the New World," tracing the rise of the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, is available on DVD. (PRNewsFoto/Knights of Columbus) (PRNewsFoto/KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131217/DC35087)

The documentary, Francis: The Pope From the New World, is set to air in the coming weeks on Mexican and U.S. commercial television and has been a bestseller on Amazon.com, rising as high as number four in the documentary category. Amazon has had to reorder DVD copies several times after running out of stock.

The documentary traces the remarkable rise of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who, on March 13, became the first pope from the Americas, the first pope who is a Jesuit, and the first to take the name Francis.

The nearly hour-long film features interviews from around the world with close friends, fellow priests, co-workers, his biographer and the poor of Buenos Aires. Most of the interviews and much of the film were shot on location in Argentina.

"This documentary arrives as the world realizes that a very special man has assumed the leadership of the Catholic Church, and this begins — but does not end — with his gestures of humility and care for everyone," said Carl Anderson, one of the documentary's executive producers. "Still, what remain largely unknown to the public are many details of Pope Francis' life, the work he has done and the ways in which he has defended the voiceless and Catholic principles. This documentary delves into those stories."

The documentary begins with the electrifying moment when the new pope stands before the crowd in St. Peter's Square on the day of his election. It then takes viewers through both the ordinary and climactic events of his life, from family dynamics, to his call to the priesthood, to his support for the San Lorenzo soccer team, to his care for those in the slums of Buenos Aires.

It traces his work for those threatened in Argentina's Dirty War that coincided with Father Bergoglio's time as Jesuit provincial, his advocacy for those affected by economic and political turmoil, and the opposition he sometimes encountered from Argentina's political elites.

A trailer for the documentary and information can be found at http://www.popefrancisdocumentary.com/.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus