Hope Book Summary

Book Summary

15 min

Audio available

Brief Summary

Jorge Mario Bergoglio always felt a pull toward God. Despite his love for science, priesthood ultimately became his calling leading him to the highest rank in the Catholic Church when he became Pope Francis in 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI resigned.

The colorful neighborhood of Flores in Buenos Aires, where Pope Francis grew up, is where he drew inspiration for his vision of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis was an advocate for inclusivity and community, focusing on marginalized communities and never turning his back on the impoverished.

About the Author

Jorge Marion Bergoglio, son of Italian immigrants, became Pope Francis in 2013 after years of serving as a priest, bishop, and cardinal in his home country of Argentina. He was the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit, and the first pope from outside Europe in over 1,0000 years. His contemporary approach to the papacy, paired with his dedication to inclusivity and community helped to modernize the Catholic Church.

Topics

Biography & Memoir

Hope Book Summary Preview

By. Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio

Key Insights

In his autobiography, “Hope”, Pope Francis gives readers an inside look at his extraordinary life.

The book, released in 2025, covers Pope Francis’s life from childhood in tumultuous Buenos Aires to his duties in the papacy. He opens up about his personal journey of faith and shares his thoughts on matters facing the Catholic Church and the world around us, from social justice to migration to technology to the role of women and more.

The title “Hope” derives from the theme that strings the autobiography together as Pope Francis discusses the idea of hope as a gift from God during trying times.

Even if you’re not of the Catholic faith, Pope Francis’s story will resonate with all readers looking for a story of modernization, love, faith, perseverance, and most importantly, hope.

Divine Intervention

In October of 1927, a tragedy occurred. The Italian transatlantic SS Principessa Mafalda was traveling from Genoa Italy when it unexpectedly began leaning on one side in the cold waters of the Atlantic, off the coast of Brazil. Shortly after passengers began panicking, the ship’s power failed and passengers onboard were left with no choice but to jump or remain on the sinking ship. There were 288 crew and 971 passengers on board that journey and 314 perished in the frigid waters.

What seemed like an annoying hold-up to Mario Bergoglio and his family at the time, can now be seen as a divine intervention. Bergoglio and his family had intended to be on that boat. They had plans to leave Italy and start a new life in Argentina. To fund their travels, they had to sell their belongings. Unable to sell them in time, they missed the boat and therefore missed being a part of the sinking of the Italian transatlantic SS Principessa Mafalda. Years later, Mario would become father to the future Pope Francis.

It was not until four years later that the Bergoglio family finally made their way to South America as a part of a mass departure of emigrants looking to escape poverty and political turmoil under the fascist leadership of Benito Mussolini.

The great escape made by this family would later impact Pope Francis’s stance on migration, empathizing with displaced people in times of political disorder.

A Childhood Constructed of Humility

Between the ages of two and twenty-one, Jorge Mario Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis), lived with his parents and four siblings in the same house at 531 Calle Membrillar in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It was a single-story house with three bedrooms to share amongst the family. Jorge describes the house as always crowded, but full of activities and vibrant conversations.

The streets outside shared the same vibrancy and spirit. In the 1930s and 1940s, Flores was full of working-class families, mainly immigrants. From Jewish families from Odessa to Turkish and Syrian immigrants to even Lebanese Muslims who held passports from the old Ottoman Empire.

Jorge’s life revolved around the few blocks around his house. A few spots including his grandparents’ homes, his nursery school,...