I Am Asking in the Name of God: Ten Prayers for a Future of Hope

Following his 2020 Easter sermon, the pope (A Better World), born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, collaborated with Télam senior correspondent Hernán Reyes Alcaide (Latinoamérica) to expand upon that homily. In 10 essays that fall in line with the development of Catholic social teaching since the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s, the book offers a plea to humanity. It also calls for the Catholic Church to repent from its own sins of child abuse. The fourth essay, “In the Name of God, I Ask for Politics That Works for the Common Good,” might be the pivotal contribution. Pope Francis’s political view that human beings can be transformed by the institutions they create brings the practical mechanics of societies into the realm of high ideals. Those principles would include concern for refugees and migrants, along with civil discourse and mutual respect for others, regardless of race or other factors that many use to avoid unity. The pope urges readers to strive for international and religious harmony and to take better care of the environment. For those wanting a deeper dive, the book has references to encyclicals and other works.