I Am a Mission on This Earth: Selected Writings

“My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off. . . . Instead, it is something I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world.”—Pope Francis




From his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in 2013 until his death in 2025, Pope Francis, through words and gestures, fulfilled the promise and challenge suggested by his namesake, ...