[How About This Book] "Soo-ui Has No Pockets"... Embracing the Poor from the Lowest Place

Pope Francis's First Autobiography
"The Mission of the Papacy Continues Until Death"
Rejecting Luxurious Residences
Refusing the Ornate Shoes Symbolizing the Papacy
Believing Service Is the Calling of a Priest
A Call to End the Global Hunger for Power

Pope Francis (88) has been hospitalized for three weeks with pneumonia symptoms, raising global concerns. At one point, reports emerged that his condition was critical, causing many to anxiously monitor his progress. Considering the precedent of the previous pope who resigned while still alive, attention has also focused on whether Pope Francis might resign; however, such a possibility is slim. This is because Pope Francis’s usual belief is that "(the Pope’s) mission continues until the end of life."

Pope Francis. Yonhap News

Pope Francis recently revealed this in his autobiography "My Life" (Willbook), published domestically. As if foreseeing the current situation, he said, "Some might hope that I will soon be hospitalized and announce my resignation from the papacy, but I will carry out my apostolic mission until the end of my life."

This book contains conversations between Pope Francis and a Vatican specialist journalist about historical moments he has experienced. It introduces the Pope’s life stories related to various global issues, from World War II when he was three years old, the Holocaust, COVID-19, to the Ukraine war. The Pope said, "Telling life stories is one of the most beautiful and intimate ways of communication," adding, "Life stories help discover small and simple things that have not been found before, and as the Gospel says, greatness is born from those small things."

Pope Francis grew up hearing stories about the Jewish Holocaust happening around him. His father ran a dyeing business that had many Jewish customers, so the Pope could feel the atrocities of the Nazis from around the age of five. "Jewish children hardly ever smiled while playing, and their eyes were full of sadness. It seemed they knew what was happening to their people and relatives. Even now, when I meet children from war zones, I see the same look. There is no laughter in their eyes, and they always try hard to force a smile."

Pope Francis (left) is posing for a photo with his younger brother Oscar during their childhood. Photo by AP and Yonhap News

The Salesian boarding school, which he entered in 1948 with the help of a priest, was a perfect place of learning for young Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis’s birth name). There, he learned not only how to acquire knowledge but also how to engage in healthy competition through sports and deeply immersed himself in Catholic culture. At the age of twelve, he felt the calling to serve the poor as a priest. "There, I learned how to open my heart to others and share what I have with those poorer than me. Clerical robes don’t have pockets, after all."

Pope Francis never lost his heart for the poor. Such meaning is also embedded in his name. As Pope, he rejected the luxurious traditional residence and refused the ornate red shoes symbolizing the papacy. When he first presided over Mass, he asked bishops and local clergy from his hometown Argentina not to attend and to donate the saved expenses to the poor.

However, because he emphasized poverty too much, some opposed him, labeling the Pope as a communist or Marxist. In response, the Pope cited the Bible (Acts 4:32) and rebutted, "Standing with the poor does not make everyone a communist." He described it as "the pure form of the early Christian community," saying, "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed private ownership of anything, but everything was held in common."

Regarding controversial issues within the Church such as the recognition of same-sex or transgender marriages, he expressed a clear opposing stance. "We do not have the authority to change the sacraments established by the Lord. The sacrament of marriage is only for the union of one man and one woman." However, he insisted that LGBTQ+ individuals should not be excluded. The Pope stated, "God loves all people, especially sinners," and "We must help them feel that the Church is their home."

Pope Francis did not hide his human weaknesses. Although he lived considering the poor as family, he had almost no contact with his mother’s five siblings. The Pope confessed that the relationship between his mother and her siblings was not good, so he rarely saw them since childhood. Occasional family quarrels left deep wounds on the Pope.

Additionally, the Pope did not hesitate to warn about corruption in various parts of society. "When a corrupt person wields power, they always drag others into their corruption and bring them down to their level. A corrupt person cannot escape their state by conscience alone because they have anesthetized their own soul."

The Pope compared corruption to bad breath that is hard to notice and emphasized the need for others to point it out. He also appealed to leaders around the world: "We cannot shake off worries about the wars shaking the world and the Third World War. Lay down your weapons. Lay down your bombs. Stop the craving for power. I speak in the name of God. Please stop. Enough is enough. I beg you."

My Life | Written by Pope Francis | Willbook | 296 pages | 19,800 KRW