Penguin Random House Mourns The Death Of Its Author Pope Francis
Pope Francis’ autobiography “Hope” was published by Penguin Random House in many countries on January 14.
People around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, April 21, at the Casa Santa Marta in the Vatican. He was 88 years old. On January 14 of this year, Francis became the first pontiff in history to publish his autobiography in numerous languages and in more than 80 countries during his lifetime. The Holy Year 2025 and “the demands of our time,” as the announcement read at the time, had prompted him to make his touching, optimistic memoirs available before his death. “Hope” was published in many countries by Penguin Random House: by Random House in the U.S. and Viking in the U.K., by Kösel-Verlag in Germany, by Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial in Spain and Portugal, and by Companhia das Letras in Brazil. Penguin Random House audiobook publishers also published audiobook editions to accompany the release. Now the book poignantly turns out to be Pope Francis’ last message to people all over the world.
Biography as testament
“We are now in the situation that Francis had envisioned, originally and for many years, for the publication of ‘Hope’: the moment of his death. Because that is what the book is: his testament, the spiritual, faith-filled, but also moral, social and civic legacy that he intended and left for all men and women of the world,” says Carlo Musso, who co-wrote “Hope” with Pope Francis.
“Image is honored to be the publisher of eight books by Pope Francis,” says Campbell Wharton, senior vice president and publisher at Image Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House Christian Publishing Group. “To be a part of sharing his legacy with the world in his own words is a privilege we hold with great reverence and gratitude. His faith, wisdom and leadership live on in his writings and will continue to serve readers around the world.”
“Testimony of a tireless commitment to mercy and peace”
“We are very saddened and sorry to have to say goodbye to our longtime and esteemed author, who, as the 226th Pope, has significantly shaped and reformed both the office and the Catholic Church since his election on March 13, 2013,” reads a statement from Germany’s Kösel Verlag, a Penguin Random House Verlagsgruppe imprint. Publishing director Sigrid Fortkord adds: “Pope Francis campaigned for peace with impressive fortitude throughout his life. Even as a young priest in Buenos Aires, everything he did was aimed to advocate for those on the margins of society. And as an author, he also worked with conviction for hope, understanding, and reconciliation, which is expressed very impressively in his true-to-life books, especially in his autobiography. In “Hope,” Pope Francis shares his most personal memories and encounters with us. No other pope embodied openness and humanity so completely. His entire life and work are testimony to his tireless commitment to mercy and peace.”
Before “Hope,” Pope Francis had published the following books with Image in the U.S.: “On Heaven And Earth,” “Ave Maria,” “Encountering Truth,” “I Am Asking In The Name Of God,” “The Joy Of The Gospel,” “Lumen Fidei: The Light Of Faith,” “Our Father” and “Reflections On The Sunday Gospel.” Kösel-Verlag published the German editions as “Der Name Gottes ist Barmherzigkeit” (2016), “Das Glück in diesem Leben” (2017), “Vater unser” (2018), “Ich glaube” (2020), “Wage zu träumen!” (2021), “Ich wünsche dir ein Lächeln” (2022), and “Ich bitte im Namen Gottes” (2023).
Pope Francis’ autobiography, written over a period of six years, begins in the early years of the 20th century, takes us through his childhood, describes the excitement and sorrows of his youth, his vocation, his adult life and the entire period of his pontificate up to the recent past. Recounting his memories with intimate narrative power, the Pope unremittingly addressed some of the defining moments of his papacy and wrote frankly, fearlessly, and prophetically about some of the most important and controversial issues of our time.
Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as the eldest of five children in an Italian immigrant family. He trained as a chemical technician before being ordained as a priest in 1969. As a member of the Jesuit order, he served as provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina from 1973. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992, became Archbishop in 1998, and was elevated to Cardinal in 2001.
Ambassador for the ‘RTL – Wir helfen Kindern’ foundation
In 2015, Pope Francis was served as the patron of a “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V.” foundation project in his home city of Buenos Aires. In this capacity, the Holy Father gave Wolfram Kons, RTL’s overall charity director and board member of the “Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e.V.” foundation, his blessing for the RTL foundation’s commitment during an audience at the Vatican. “Pope Francis was a man who could move entire worlds with just a few words – always in the service of humanity. His commitment to the children of this world was full of warmth, his advocacy for them full of vigor. I am deeply grateful for my encounters with him, which also changed my view of the world,” says Wolfram Kons.
