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

by Pope Francis

The beloved Pope Francis’s prayers for the ten most pressing issues the world is facing today, inspiring action to radically unite humanity in hope for a peaceful future

“The clock is ticking, and all life is in danger, yet we still have time. . . . So let us take the first steps and go out to encounter the other—those who are different from us. Let us put our hands, minds, and hearts into working together. Let us be the change we want to see in the world."—Pope Francis

In this challenging and evocative book, Pope Francis reflects on ten vital issues the world is facing today, encompassing his hopes and dreams for the Church and for all of humankind.

Among other prayers, Pope Francis is asking in the name of God

for the media to reject fake news and renounce hateful language
for a stop to the madness of war
for the welcome of migrants and refugees
for the eradication of the culture of abuse from within the Church

This isn’t just a world leader’s reflections on spirituality. I Am Asking in the Name of God is a wake-up call for all of humanity, a practical path toward unity, and a lighthouse of hope in the darkest of eras. This unflinching and inspiring book is a catalyst of change to usher in a new age more beautiful than we can imagine.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Christian, Christianity, Catholic, Spirituality

Audible Audio

Published October 3, 2023

About the author

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) was the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he held ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and Sovereign of the Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III, who died in 741.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He was accused of handing two priests to the National Reorganization Process during the Dirty War, but the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, and the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis had been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor, and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He was credited with having a humble, less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as Cardinal. He maintained that the church should be more open and welcoming. He did not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintained the traditional views of the church regarding abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, and priestly celibacy. He opposed consumerism, irresponsible development, and supported taking action on climate change, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Reviews

[Solomon · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐ - Liked It

"The world is the concrete reality in which the church is rooted... The world is changing and we are also invited to birth new changes. This does not mean leaving behind what we have believed and preached our whole lives for a fleeting trend. Instead, it means being prepared so that faith becomes significant and creative in the new context that it is to be built"

Pope Francis lays out his path forward for the church and the world in this new age. There are a lot of problems laid out in this book and his main solution is constructive dialogue between people who have differing opinions so that we can move forward on addressing these issues. The topics covered include caring for the planet, putting an end to war, opening the door for immigrants, and encouraging greater participation of women in society.

[James Xavier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am asking in the Name of God is a gorgeously penned series of letters/prayers in the form of a striking manifesto without any religious or capital motive.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, was the first Latin American Pope and objectively the most progressive, and vocally affirming to have ever been elected to the chair of Peter.

Francis, in this book alone, manages to argue, defend, and advocate for almost every marginalized group on Planet Earth without ever talking down to them or us. His use of language and skillful empathetic writing weaves a beautiful series of open letters that should arguably be up there with some of the greatest peace and Justice advocates of all time.

He addresses the elephant in the room straight away and calls for continuing Justice for victims of sexual abuse from the Church. He takes and shoulders the burden of responsibility without vitriol or blame to those who were abused and calls plainly and sternly for the real change and action as well as accountability within the Catholic Church too.

Throughout the Ten prayers, he goes into great detail and desire for humanity and those who have put themselves in charge (including himself and the church) to stop using the name of God to incite war, to drive out hate speech, to end conflict, to better serve and boost women into leadership worldwide, to accept refugees and immigrants with no restrictions, and to be environmentally responsible. Pope Francis, ever a fierce Socialist (in action, less in theory) also calls for full universal worldwide healthcare and redistribution of wealth from the world's top earners.

Had this book been penned by someone other than the Pope of the Catholic Church, there is a high likelihood that it would have already ascended the ranks of some of the best peace-focused activist texts of the last 100 years.

Truly a humble, selfless, and accountable book that doesn’t ask the working class and marginalized to change from the bottom up, but calls for the top to provide for the rest and for everyone else to champion the change we need in our corners of the world.

[Wendelle]

This is a book by Pope Francis, it consists of prayers, special pleas, calls to action, and outlines of concrete steps on a variety of issues in the world that are dear to him, such as environmental action, reform of church's history and policy towards sexual abuse, politics, the empowerment of women, the welcoming of immigrants and refugees. In a way, this can be thought of as a series of homilies that sum up the creed that Pope Francis holds on social issues.

[Corbin Hillam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique glimpse into the heart of Pope Francis.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The relatively short book contains 10 chapters combining a short prayer followed by a discourse by Pope Francis on the prayer. In total, there are 10 prayers said, all starting with the phrase "I am asking in the name of God."

Chapter 1: In the name of God, I ask that the culture of abuse be eradicated from the Church
Chapter 2: In the name of God, I ask that we protect our Common Home
Chapter 3: In the name of God, I ask for the media to fight fake news and avoid hate speech
Chapter 4: In the name of God, I ask for Politics that works for the common good
Chapter 5: In the name of God, I ask that we stop the madness of war
Chapter 6: In the name of God, I ask that the doors be opened to immigrants and refugees
Chapter 7: In the name of God, I ask that greater participation of women in society be promoted and encouraged
Chapter 8: In the name of God, I ask that the growth of poor countries be allowed and encouraged
Chapter 9: In the name of God, I ask for universal access to health services
Chapter 10: In the name of God, I ask that the name of God not be used to incite wars

As a Catholic, I have mixed feelings about our current Pope. This book did nothing to sway me towards him, but it also didn't have me running away.

Each chapter title is something that resonated with me. However, the sometimes meandering about in the chapters seemed to miss the overall point the short prayer could mean. Maybe more concrete examples of how it ties to the Catechism and then stating how we could live it out in our lives would have resonated more with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for a digital advance reader copy to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.

[Artemis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, but kind of shallow. Well-meant, but addressing problems so big that it's not really breaking any new ground or presenting really actionable ideas. But also, like, if addressing the Big Problems In The World Today was easy, we would have solved them by now.

I appreciated that Pope Francis was like yes. We need UBI and a four-day workweek. This book seems targeted at conservative Catholics who aren't me haha, I already agree with most of this surprisingly progressive stuff about what needs to be done to bring peace and hope and accessible healthcare to everyone.

He is very much still anti-abortion but you know he is also against the death penalty and euthanasia, and pro- all sorts of social support systems to help people including UBI, immigration reform and immigrant integration, interfaith outreach and collaboration, and Indigenous rights, and advocated for childcare support, paid maternity leave, and abolishing vaccine patents, so like, he's consistent and he's earned it and also he's the Pope what do you expect.

I listened to his audiobook for Lent and it was interesting seeing the arguments made from a very Catholic perspective.

[Kristjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt that we are living in a time of increasing troubles and violence and that this should be a concern for all of us. This book attempts to identify the 10 moral issues/failures facing the world today with a call to action by the Pope. While I am actually a fan of Pope Francis, this really doesn’t introduce any new ground and doesn’t really cover any of these issues in depth (and does not provide much in the way of practical ways to address them).

There are a few surprises, such as the appeal to media to stop with he fake news and manipulation … which IMHO is more a pipe dream than anything else. Another was the unequivocal statement that just war was not possible (seems like a change in doctrine and problematic if understood as a complete prohibition to defense … not sure if that is what he meant to say). Then there was the call for equal treatment and opportunities of women … an apparent contradiction so obvious that an immediate defense is presented that hinges on the election of the Holy Virgin above all men. This chapter does nothing to actually clarify and answer the cries of hypocrisy leveled against the Church by her opponents.

Outside of those few surprises and disappointments, the main take away appears to be order in which these issues are presented. The book opens with an apology and a promise with respect to the clergy abuse scandal. Next up is our environment and a call to protect our common home. Clearly this is a priority of the Pope and probably should be so for anybody who accepts man caused climate change. Unfortunately I don’t think any will be persuaded with this … nor any of the other appeals that target poor behavior of bad actors … so nothing is likely to change.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Introduction
Chapter 1: In the name of God, I ask that the culture of abuse be eradicated from the Church
Chapter 2: In the name of God, I ask that we protect our Common Home
Chapter 3: In the name of God, I ask for the media to fight fake news and avoid hate speech
Chapter 4: In the name of God, I ask for Politics that works for the common good
Chapter 5: In the name of God, I ask that we stop the madness of war
Chapter 6: In the name of God, I ask that the doors be opened to immigrants and refugees
Chapter 7: In the name of God, I ask that greater participation of women in society be promoted and encouraged
Chapter 8: In the name of God, I ask that the growth of poor countries be allowed and encouraged
Chapter 9: In the name of God, I ask for universal access to health services
Chapter 10: In the name of God, I ask that the name of God not be used to incite wars
Epilogue: “Pilgrims of Hope”

Some of the other points that really got my attention are:

I cannot begin without again asking for forgiveness. Our words of repentance will never be enough to console the victims of sexual abuse at the hands of members of the Church.

It is also in the very Social Doctrine of the Church, which says that humans must not “make arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it without restraint to his will, as though it did not have its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which man can indeed develop but must not betray.”

Specifically, I renew my plea that mass media end the logic of post-truth, disinformation, defamation, slander, and the fascination for scandal and, instead, seek to contribute to a culture of dialogue and reflection, with necessary disagreement and confrontation but without the need to denigrate or mistreat others.

Populism seeks that small group to appropriate popular sentiments for their own aims, even though different nuances are used to understand these movements in each continent. This kind of populism seeks to exclude and concentrate when it does not manipulate and exacerbate conditions.

War can never be justified. War can never be a solution. We need only to think of the destructive power of modern weapons and see the devastation that they unleash; many times the situation is left a thousand times worse than before the war began. War does not solve problems but creates and leaves destruction in its wake.

At the same time, if the world does not improve the conditions that lead to massive forced migrations, the decision to limit the quota for secure and legal entry for those who flee war and poverty cannot be deemed anything but hypocritical.

It is inexcusable that in the twenty-first century, women are still considered second-class citizens in many places. There is a cultural root to this, leading to even more forms of violence. The base of all this is cultural, transcending any border between nations.

This does not mean that we should not respect the principle of paying debts that have been legitimately acquired, but we should refuse to accept the unbalanced method in which countries are required to fulfill their payments, which is the same in the poorest nations as in the wealthiest countries.

There is now a spiritual virus that is very contagious, one that turns us into self-focused men and women who see only ourselves and no one else. The reality is that we are responsible for caring for ourselves and our health, which translates to caring for the health of those nearest to us; there is an unequivocal moral obligation.

Violence in the name of God is a betrayal of religion. Therefore, we must say no to any hate perpetrated in God’s name or in the name of any other religion.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#IAmAskingintheNameofGod #NetGalley

[Hector · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great quick read to reflect some of the ways in which humanity can move forward in the spirit of hope and fraternity. Pope Francis continues to show that he is the right spiritual leader for this moment in time. He has a keen sense of the need for the faithful to understand how to live within the context of an ever-changing and endangered world. My favorite parts were his reminders of our responsibility to future generations and the need to engage and involve youth on decision-making on their future.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books ever written about humanity. Pope Francis does speak on Christianity, but more so, it's a book about humanity, our worldwide struggles, and the solutions we can do to fix them along with hope. I recommend this book to anyone of any faith or non-believer. because it's religious to a degree but mire humane and encourages unity for our similarities and differences. Which we all see around us is more than needed. Anyways it was a wonderful book, and I think it will also help us see humanity with hope rather than pessimistic point of view.

[Adam Zuwerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not Catholic, but have always admired Pope Francis from a distance through mainstream media interviews and articles. This is the first work I have read authored by the Pope, and I am very glad I did! Working through different challenges the world is currently facing, Pope Francis offers a simple message of love and hope in a writing style easily accessible for all.

[Falon Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially loved the chapters on the climate, women, and migrants. The final sentences of the epilogue stood out to me. I listened to it, but this could be a really good book to move through with a small group, as a devotional for example, with plenty of time to reflect on how we can embody these prayers in our walks with Jesus.

[Robert Hudder · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have my problems with the Church. There doesn't mean that there is no good that can come of it. It's hard to argue that women should be part of civil society, wars in the name of God should be stopped and that we should protect the earth. These are three of the ten prayers.

I disagree on some details but what can I say? Maybe at heart I am still a good Catholic boy.

[Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sincere thoughts about the problems of the world and suggestions for solving the problems, not just through prayer, but through action.

[Angela Dolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pope Francis is a true humanitarian, and someone who cares about all people and living things. This book gave me a lot to think about. It was a good choice to read it going into the new year.

[Blue Belli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pope is a compassionate, intelligent man. I pray that every brother and sister upon this earth will be moved to act with the grace, kindness, and wisdom that he shows with this prayer.

[Abdulla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pope Francis spoke in a way that prompted reflection, emphasising our common humanity. His absence is deeply felt, yet his written words linger, advocating for compassion, bravery, and unity.

[Ligia Bonetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pope Francis is for me a man of great inspiration. A more down to earth Pope, he acknowledges and sees the world issues as they are and works around them finding solutions that unite rather than the tradicional catholic radical or antagonistic positions. “I am asking in the name of God” is a realistic, well thought book of prayers, with a modern perspective, that takes a critical look inside the church as well as outside. His prayers are well thought and on point. He will go down in history as the kind man who walks the talk and leads with the heart and compassion.

[Neil McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read several times trying to absorb , I feel I could read a thousand times to achieve this goal.

Thank-you for your counsel 🙏

May God bless you 😇

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is powerful reading. He's in touch with what's going on in the world. We are to be "pilgrims of hope." Yes.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top social issues of today, nice to know the popes perspective

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good refresher in the Church's Social Doctrine....difficult and confusing to read the chapter on women while the church still treats women as 2nd class.