Pope francis 2013 biography of christopher

One of Pope Francis’ lasting reforms will be his reshaping of the papacy to embrace simplicity and humility, as seen in his decisions to live in a Vatican guesthouse and carry his own briefcase onto the papal plane.

With the release of a new autobiography Tuesday, titled “Hope,” Francis underlines this shift with a remarkable openness about his past mistakes and wrongdoings.

They include as a young man getting into a fight with a fellow student who “even lost his senses” after hitting his head when thrown to the ground, and insisting that he still commits “errors and sins” today.

“I feel I have a reputation I do not deserve, a public esteem of which I am not worthy,” writes Francis, who was recently awarded the highest civilian honor in the United States by President Joe Biden.

“This, beyond doubt, is my strongest sentiment.”

While the memoir covers major events in the Francis papacy, including the revelation that he faced two assassination attempts during his 2021 visit to Iraq,