Biographer Rosales: Pope Francis a Skilled Politician

Pope Francis is a brilliant religious leader who is overseeing the Catholic Church in the manner of a skilled politician, according to Luis Rosales, coauthor of the bestselling book "Francis: A Pope for Our Time."

"He is a Jesuit, which means a lot. The Jesuits represent one of the most intellectual branches inside the Catholic Church," Rosales told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.

"He's also pure Argentinian, but with Italian blood. So his cultural configuration is a mix between Latin America and Europe.

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"[That] is very important for the future development of the church because the Catholic Church has the majority of its followers both in Europe and Latin America."

For years, Francis was considered the "intellectual leader" of the Latin American Catholic Church, Rosales noted.

"So he [made] a big effort in the past representing the Catholics of Latin America in all the inside circles of the Catholic Church," he said.

"At the end of the day, he is a politician ruling the church."

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis became the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013.

"Francis: A Pope for Our Time," co-written with Daniel Olivera, is published by Humanix Publishing.

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