Author Garry Wills examines the life of Pope Francis during Sebastopol talk

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and cultural historian Garry Wills will explore “The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis,” the title of his latest book, during a talk Thursday at the Community Church of Sebastopol.

Wills has written penetrating studies of George Washington, Richard Nixon, the Kennedy family, Ronald Reagan, and religion in America. A practicing Roman Catholic, he also has trained his intellectual muscle on his own church, emerging as one of its keenest observers and critics.

In his newest book Wills examines the challenges and potential for change that Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, offers to The Catholic Church. He also puts forth seven examples of deep and serious changes that have, or are in the process of taking place within the church over the past century.

The free talk and book-signing, sponsored by Copperfields Books, is at 7 p.m. The Community Church of Sebastopol is at 1000 Gravenstein Hwy. N. For information visit copperfieldsbooks.com.

You can reach Staff Writer Meg McConahey at meg.mcconahey@pressdemocrat.com or 521-5204. On Twitter @megmcconahey.