Much has been written about the first ever South American and Jesuit Pope since the election of Pope Francis in March 2013 and, over the past 2 years, he has managed to win respect and admiration, not just of Roman Catholics, but other Christian traditions, and those of other faiths and none.

But just who is Pope Francis?

At the end of last year a new book was released entitled The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making of a Radical Pope which reveals Pope Francis’ revolutionary thinking and the tension between his innovative vision for the Church and the obstacles he faces in an institution still strongly defined by its conservative past.

Author, journalist and Catholic commentator on religious and political affairs, Austen Ivereigh spoke to Wendy about his research on the subject.