Life: My journey through history

Pope Francis on his life for the first time in his own words. A candid authorized memoir of the current head of the Church.

14 stops at historical milestones in the context of Francis' life from the beginning of the Second World War to the present
Leafing through the precious book that is life itself, Pope Francis leads us along a path made up of emotions, joys and pain. It is a window into the past that allows us to know our present better.

For the first time ever, Pope Francis tells the story of his life through the events that have marked humanity over the past eighty years. He also confides to his readers the origins of his ideas, which many consider courageous and characteristic of his pontificate. From unequivocal stances against poverty and environmental destruction, to a direct appeal to world leaders, to set a different course for their policy on the issues, such as dialogue between nations, an arms race, fighting inequalities.  

From the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, when the future Pope was almost three years old, to the present day, Jorge Mario Bergoglio has guided readers through his memories of his long, extraordinary journey through the decades. Pope's voice and his very personal memories are interwoven with the narrator's speech, who in each chapter reconstructs the historical scenario in which the memories are inserted. In the words of the pontiff: "LIFE follows the light, so that especially the youngest generation can listen to the voice of the elder and reflect on their experiences on this planet and not repeat the mistakes of the past. Consider, for example, the wars that have plagued and continue to plague the world. Let us think about genocides, persecutions, hatred between brothers and sisters of different religions! How much pain there is in them! Once we reach a certain age, It is important for us to go back to our memories and record them, to make us aware of the bad and the toxic, what we've been through, including sins, that we've committed. But also to remind ourselves of all the good things God has sent us. It's a self-inquiry exercise that we should all do before it's too late!"

JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the son of Italian immigrants. He was ordained a priest of the Society of Jesus in 1969 and appointed auxiliary bishop in 1992. In 1998 he became Archbishop of Buenos Aires and in 2001 he was appointed Cardinal, and in March 2013 he was elected Pope, the two hundred and sixty-sixth pontiff of the Catholic Church, under the name Francis.

"We should not forget the most important lesson: We can reread the story of our life to store it in our memory and to give something to the one who is listening. But for all of us to learn to live, we must learn to love."
Francis

The book is based on his interviews with Pope Francis and was edited by Mediaset's Vatican correspondent Fabio Marchese Ragona.