VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In his new book, “Church, Interrupted: Havoc & Hope: The Tender Revolt of Pope Francis,” papal historian John Cornwell forecasts the repercussions Pope Francis may have for the Catholic Church, portraying Francis as a priest, bishop and pope who has never been afraid of paving his own way. “I have focused on a consistent feature of his papacy: a capacity to hold opposites in tension, his many paradoxes giving rise to disruption,” Cornwell writes. A veteran writer on Catholic affairs, Cornwell is very much aware of the profound challenges facing the church today. Priestly vocations are dropping, pews remain empty and the sexual abuse and financial scandals in the Vatican have seeded doubt in the institution.