Pope Francis autobiography: A call to hope and action

Hope has been described by others as “Being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness”. It is the ability to remain optimistic despise repeated setbacks or adversity.

Pope Francis goes further: “Christian hope is that humble and strong virtue that sustains us and doesn’t let us drown in the many difficulties of existence. It is hope that keeps life going, protects it, takes care of it, helps it to grow.”

And, of course, our greatest source of hope is our Creator, the boundless provider. God “offers us the hope of a new life. We don’t remain imprisoned in our own past, whatever it may be, but we start to see the present in another way.”

There are times when certain experiences and encounters compel us to deeply reflect on the course of our lives and the beliefs and assumptions that shape our existence.

Pope Francis’ autobiography ‘Hope’ has had a profound effect on me and, I believe, most of those who have read it. It has inspired me to critically examine my faith, values and beliefs. Originally, Pope Francis intended that his autobiography should be published posthumously.

However, he felt strongly that it was too urgent to delay, as it addresses contemporary and urgent challenges confronting humanity and the prevailing attitude of many Christians towards them.

We live in an exceedingly secularised world where the importance of God and religion is diminishing. This has been accompanied by a pervasive ‘don’t-care’ attitude characterised by indifference, emotional detachment, and lack of concern for others. As the Holy Father puts it: “The inability to feel personal blame is a serious and widespread sickness, especially in this age. It is a frightening sickness.” 

Read: The changing face of Catholic: Vatican's shift towards gender-inclusive leadership

Pope Francis challenges us to be more mindful of our neighbours and the less fortunate in society, and emphasises our obligations to do more for them. Early in his book, the Holy Father recalls the dialogue between God and Cain after Abel’s death. When asked about his brother’s wellbeing, Cain responds: "Am I my brother's keeper?"

In today’s individualised society, this has become the usual and expected response to societal problems: "That’s not my problem!" Or "Why should I care?" Isn’t this the ‘factory setting’ of most Kenyans towards our neighbours?

The Holy Father cautions us strongly against this indifference, attributing many of today’s societal challenges to it. He goes further and emphasises that Christians have a binding moral duty to care for the less fortunate, and to be actively involved in resolving societal challenges.

Another powerful teaching by Pope Francis is the importance of the poor and marginalized in society.

“Those who believe in God, those who believe in Jesus Christ and his Gospel, know that the heart of the Gospel is the news to the poor.”

The poor, those who need to be saved, who need to be welcomed into society, who are overwhelmed with the poverty of sin; these are people who Jesus came to redeem.

The Bible teaches us that whenever the less privileged in society reach out to us for our assistance, God imploring us to go out of our way to assist them. Indeed, it is an opportunity to serve God himself through our actions. Jesus emphasizes this in Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” 

Read: Mission to Vatican: Pope Francis’s message to Kenya

Throughout Scripture, caring for the poor, the needy, and the vulnerable is portrayed as a direct expression of faith and love for God. It lies at the very core of what it means to be Christian.

Pope Francis implores us to adopt this attitude when confronting some of the most pressing challenges of our time: severe poverty and hunger, unemployment, refugees, wars and conflicts – where women, children and the elderly comprise 80 per cent of casualties - the environmental crisis, gender-based violence, etc. This is one of our primary responsibilities as Christians. Whenever we encounter those in need we should remember the Almighty’s response to Cain: “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the grave”.

One of the biggest concerns that Kenyans should reflect on is summarised very well by Pope Francis: “We live in times when feelings that had seemed to many people to have been overcome now appear to be reviving and spreading: feelings of suspicion, of fear, of disdain, even of hatred toward individuals or groups who are seen as different because of their ethnic, national, or religious origin.”

All Kenyans must reflect deeply on this lest some of the undesirable aspects of our history repeat themselves.

The Holy Father has had a long and very rich life. As you read this book, you get the sense that he struggles to fit his life story in such few pages. A good illustration of this is his experience as the leader of the Jesuits in Argentina, a position to which he was appointed at the age of 36. He said that he made “many mistakes” during this period, but does not describe this in any detail; yet this experience had a profound effect on his formation as a leader, and ultimately on his leadership style as cardinal and pope.

Indeed, this autobiography does not offer a very detailed account of all parts his life. He only dwells on the parts that offer relevant lessons for our time. For a more detailed account I recommend “Pope Francis – Untying the Knots” by Paul Vallely

At the time of writing, Pope Francis is hospitalized and in critical condition. Updates on his health continue to emerge daily, with his condition fluctuating, leaving many of the faithful deeply saddened and uncertain. In this challenging moment, let us all come together in prayer, asking God to grant him strength, healing, and peace. May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for him, and may he find comfort in the love and prayers of the faithful worldwide.

Joe Mutugu is a devout Catholic