On Pope Francis:

For people who like homework, here’s my essential on-line reading list on Pope Francis:

A Big Heart Open to God: The Pope’s wonderfully expressive, open, personal account of himself in an interview with the Jesuit magazine America.

Who Am I to Judge? A Radical Pope’s First Year : James Carroll’s New Yorker profile.

Untier of Knots: What is the Meaning of Pope Francis? Andrew Sullivan’s richly opinionated take at The Deep Dish.

Is Pope Francis the New Champion of Liberation Theology? Harvey Cox’s vision of a left-wing church, in The Nation:

We’d love to begin the show with some vox pop, as we call it.  Please call 617 353 0692 and leave a short message that we can use at the top of the program. Here’s the question:  Speaking for yourself, in your own life, where does this pope touch you? What is it about this fellow that seems irresistible?

Our guests in this conversation (9 p.m. Thursday, January 9 on WBUR, Boston at 90.9 FM) will include James Carroll, Mary Gordon, Jeff Sharlet, Peter Manseau and Liz Walker.