“When I think of the prayer of St Francis, I think of his tears, his cries… His relationship with Jesus was not an idea or theory, but a bond of passion and love,”
Newsroom (11/09/2025, Gaudium Press )A posthumous book based on conversations with the late Pope Francis, titled “Il mio San Francesco” (My St. Francis), will be released in Italian bookstores on September 18. The volume captures a dialogue between the Pope and Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The work was officially presented on September 10 at an event in Assisi titled “The Courtyard of Francis.” Cardinal Semeraro, who compiled the discussions, highlighted his close collaboration with the pontiff, who appointed him to his Vatican roles in 2020.
The book centers on a fraternal conversation held in late 2024, offering a deep reflection on Pope Francis’s personal connection to St. Francis of Assisi—the saint who inspired his papal name and much of his teaching on creation, peace, and fraternity. It includes the late Pope’s meditations on poverty, family, suffering, and his concern for the “wounds” of the Church.
A passage on prayer reveals a personal dimension: “When I think of the prayer of St Francis, I think of his tears, his cries… His relationship with Jesus was not an idea or theory, but a bond of passion and love,” Pope Francis is quoted as saying. He also shared his own struggle to maintain a prayerful life amid immense responsibility, noting he learned “to treasure even short moments.”
The publication features a letter from his successor, Pope Leo XIV, and a preface by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
In his contribution, Pope Leo XIV writes that the book “allows us almost to hear again the voice of Pope Francis,” showing how he “lived” the name of Francis, which “shap[ed] the face of his mission.”
Cardinal Parolin characterizes the text as a significant testament of faith, suggesting it reads as a “spiritual testament” that recounts difficult life passages and family memories through the lens of the saint’s teachings.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican News
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