Pope Francis’ memoir to be published in January, publisher announces October 16, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Books, News, Vatican, World News The cover of “Hope,” described as an autobiography by Pope Francis, is seen Oct. 16, 2024. (CNS photo/courtesy Viking) VATICAN CITY (CNS) — An Italian publisher announced the global release in January of “Hope,” a book it described as Pope Francis’ autobiography, which the pope apparently planned to have released only after his death. Mondadori, the Italian publisher coordinating the global release, announced the publication Oct. 16 at the Frankfurt Book Fair and said it would be released in 80 countries Jan. 14. Viking, an imprint of Penguin General, will publish “Hope” in the United Kingdom, while Random House will publish it in the United States and Penguin Random House Canada will publish it in Canada. Mondadori said Pope Francis began working on the book with Italian editor Carlo Musso in 2019 with the understanding it would be published only after his death, but the Holy Year 2025 and its focus on hope led him to permit the early release of “this precious legacy.” “With a wealth of revelations and unpublished stories, moving and very human, poignant and dramatic, but also capable of real humor, Pope Francis’ memoir starts off in the early years of the 20th century with the story of his Italian roots and his ancestors’ adventure of emigration to Latin America, moving on to his childhood, adolescence, choice of vocation, adult life, covering the whole of his papacy up to the present day,” said a press release from Viking. “Pope Francis deals unsparingly with some of the crucial moments of his papacy,” Viking said. The pope “writes candidly, fearlessly and prophetically about some of the most important and controversial questions of our present times,” including war and peace, migration, climate change, the role of women and “the future of the church and of religion in general.” Read More Vatican News ‘Peace cannot be attained without mercy,’ Pope Leo tells global congress in Lithuania’s capital Don’t let painful past overshadow hopeful future, pope tells Barcelona inmates US bishops thank pope for encyclical and shining ‘light of Gospel’ on AI, tech advances Pope Leo XIV arrives in Barcelona on eve of Gaudí’s 100th death anniversary Pope Leo XIV briefly meets Bad Bunny in Madrid Pope helps celebrate joy of being human, seeking truth, embracing wounds Copyright © 2024 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Print
