Pope Francis publishes autobiography
Pope Francis has published his first autobiography, titled “Hope,” written over six years in collaboration with Italian writer Carlo Musso. The book begins with his Italian roots and his ancestors’ courageous migration to Latin America in the early twentieth century. Pope Francis also explores key moments of his papacy and discusses the future of the Church.
Don Giovanni Merlini beatified
In his Angelus address, Pope Francis highlighted the recent beatification of Don Giovanni Merlini, a missionary priest he described as “a prudent advisor to many souls and a messenger of peace.” Merlini, who died in 1873, was a member of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. He served as a preacher and missionary in Italy and was killed by a coachman driven by anti-clerical hatred.
Pope Francis Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom
President Joe Biden has honored Pope Francis with the Presidential Medal of Freedom with distinction. As the nation’s highest award, the medal is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public, or private endeavors,” the White House stated. This marks the first time Biden has awarded the medal “with distinction.”
Sister Clare Crockett’s Beatification Cause Opens
The beatification process for Sister Clare Crockett officially began with a ceremony in Madrid, Spain. Held at the Cathedral of Alcalá de Henares, the event initiated the diocesan phase, where a tribunal will examine her life, virtues, and reputation for holiness. Sister Crockett, who died in a 2016 earthquake in Ecuador at age 33, is now titled “Servant of God,” the Catholic Church’s first step toward sainthood.
Pope Francis begins Saturday Jubilee Audiences
Pope Francis opened the first Saturday Jubilee audience of 2025 by urging pilgrims to embrace hope as a divine strength for new beginnings. Speaking in the Vatican’s audience hall, he emphasized that hope is not just a character trait but a theological virtue—a “strength to be asked for” from God.
