By Elisabetta Povoledo
“I have come to value timely arrival; it’s a virtue I cherish,” Pope Francis states in the fifth chapter of his autobiography, which is scheduled for release on Tuesday in 18 languages, noting that he views it as “a demonstration of courtesy and respect, to be on time.”
Regrettably, he recounts arriving into the world a week later than expected, prompting a doctor’s visit where the physician had to “press and to ‘jump about’” on his mother’s abdomen to bring about his birth.
“And that’s how I entered this world,” Francis reflects.
“Hope: The Autobiography,” authored by Pope Francis—comprising 320 pages filled with his reflections on significant social and political themes of our era, such as climate change, poverty, migration, arms control, and warfare—is marketed as a “historic publication” and “the first memoir released by a sitting Pope” by its English publisher, Random House.
However, this claim isn’t entirely accurate. The distinction actually belongs to Pope Pius II’s 15th-century narratives, “The Commentaries,” a thirteen-volume account of his existence that is regarded as a foundational text of Renaissance humanism.
Additionally, Francis is not the first pope to reveal his life journey. As a cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger penned an autobiography released in 1997, eight years prior to his papacy as Pope Benedict XVI, and both he and his predecessor, John Paul II, collaborated on books with journalists which provided personal reflections rather than official papal communications.
Nonetheless, for readers, including those within the Roman Catholic community, “Hope” vividly reconstructs the vibrant world of young Jorge Mario Bergoglio—a realm bustling with immigrants from various nations and vivid characters, including sex workers, his “bag-lady” aunt, and other unforgettable family members.
Observers of Francis will find many familiar themes echoed in the autobiography from his encyclicals, weekly addresses from the Vatican, and speeches during his travels. “Hope,” however, makes connections between significant childhood moments and encounters that shaped his thinking to the present day.
His unwavering advocacy for migrants springs from his upbringing as the child of Italian immigrants in Argentina. His strong opposition to warfare—“anyone who engages in war is evil. God embodies peace,” he asserts in “Hope”—is influenced by his grandfather’s wartime experiences during World War I. “Nono recounted the terror, pain, fear, and the senseless, alienating nature of conflict,” he notes. A left-leaning biomedical pharmaceutical researcher he met before entering a seminary “taught me how to think—specifically, to contemplate politics.”
The book is rich with personal anecdotes: Francis shares how, as a young creative writing instructor, his students dubbed him “Carucha” or “Babyface.” He reminisces about assisting the nearly blind Jorge Luis Borges with shaving. “He was an agnostic who recited the Lord’s Prayer nightly out of respect for a promise he’d made to his mother, and who ultimately passed away under the last rites.”
Francis has experience with journalistic collaborations. A book detailing his life, stemming from interviews with Argentine journalist Sergio Rubin, was published while he was still Cardinal in Buenos Aires.
After his ascension as pope, several more projects emerged: Francis co-authored “Let Us Dream,” a personal narrative discussing the potential of crises as catalysts for transformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, with his biographer Austen Ivereigh. This book reached the New York Times bestseller list. Last year, “Life,” filled with anecdotes and co-written with Fabio Marchese Ragona, was released globally and also made the Times’ list.
“Hope” took six years to complete and was one of the publishing industry’s best-kept secrets. Initially, Francis planned for the autobiography to be released posthumously, but last summer, he opted for its release to align with the 2025 Jubilee, the Catholic Church’s Holy Year observed every 25 years.
Italian publisher Mondadori announced the upcoming release at last year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, generating considerable excitement, not least among biographers of the pope.
An autobiography presented an opportunity, Ivereigh noted in an interview, “for Francis to discuss aspects of his life that his biographers, myself included, have speculated about, debated, and occasionally struggled to analyze.”
Nevertheless, while full of captivating anecdotes from Francis’ childhood in the Buenos Aires neighborhood, episodes that Ivereigh referred to as “gems,” the book offers limited insights into his later life beyond the already “well-worn material.”
For instance, Francis provides little information about his time in the Vatican. His remark that the “reform of the Roman Curia proved to be the most challenging, and there was significant resistance to change for an extended period” lacks details regarding the conflicts involved.
“The pope is the pope, and it’s wonderful to have his reflections repackaged for a broader audience,” commented Ivereigh, who noted that he believes the pope views these publications as “an evangelizing instrument.” However, he expressed that he was “frankly disappointed” to find that most of the original content focused primarily on Francis’ early years.
Perhaps the most notable highlight in the book is Francis’ account of his 2021 trip to Iraq, which was published as an excerpt in the Jesuit magazine America in December. In this account, Francis reveals that he survived two thwarted assassination attempts. The former governor of Nineveh later denied that such events took place. The Times also shared an excerpt of the autobiography in December, discussing the existence of faith in humor.
Gian Maria Vian, a previous editor-in-chief of the Vatican’s L’Osservatore Romano, expressed his appreciation for the “numerous personal anecdotes” the book contributed to Francis’ biography, but noted that much had been portrayed through “rose-tinted glasses.”
Francis collaborated on the book with Carlo Musso, a former Mondadori publishing director who has recently launched an independent publishing house. The concept originated in 2019, with work commencing a year later.
“I felt privileged by his trust,” said Musso. “I don’t believe he sought an autobiography just to talk about himself, but rather to use his memories and stories to address everyone, even during challenging times.”
