An extraordinary opportunity to understand the vision of Pope Francis Pope Francis is a first in many ways: the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit, the first Francis, the first child of immigrants from the Old World, nurtured and transformed by the New World, and returned to lead the whole world. His eloquent homilies and speeches have inspired the faithful of Argentina for decades, largely through his gift of oratory, tracing back to his time as a bishop, archbishop, and cardinal in his home country. Published in English for the first time in their entirety and with contextual annotations, In Your Eyes I See My Words, Volume 1 collects his homilies and speeches from 1999 to 2004. Volume 2 spans from 2005 to 2008, and Volume 3, from 2009 to 2013, concludes with his prophetic last homily before his election to the papacy. This illuminating collection presents an extraordinary opportunity to understand the vision of a great pastor. His words bear witness to the deep experience of faith among God’s people while also showcasing his own extraordinary ability to connect with communities of faith. Through these homilies and speeches, Pope Francis humbly displays his abilities as a wordsmith, a patient and attentive teacher, an inspired and faithful theologian, and a sensitive pastor uniquely attuned to his people, offering ready guidance for their journeys, but also journeying with them. The first of a three-volume translation of Pope Francis’s theological, pastoral, anthropological, and educational thought provides rich insights into the mind and theological unfolding of a spiritual leader who has become beloved all across the globe. Within it we see Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio—later Pope Francis—ministering to the needs of the people while also engaging with the political, technological, and societal forces affecting their daily lives. Here is an ecclesial voice not afraid to challenge the politicians, the culture-makers, and media moguls—even his own ordained and lay church ministers—to live a life of faithfulness marked by justice, equality, and concern for the needs of everyone, urging all to rely on the “vitality of memory” and the “recovery of hope.” In Your Eyes I See My Words also provides a glimpse into the political, social, and religious environment of Argentina and Latin America, providing a unique perspective on the issues confronting the faithful and how those issues motivated and nurtured Pope Francis’s understanding of the Church’s mission to all segments of society—particularly to those underrepresented and on the margins of history.

本書は、教皇フランシスコがその名を冠する前の、魂を揺さぶる言葉の軌跡です。単なる宗教的説教を超え、不条理な社会に対し弱者の視点から戦いを挑む一人の人間としての「肉声」が刻まれています。彼の言葉は、周縁に置かれた人々への深い愛に貫かれ、その詩的な修辞は、読む者の魂を根底から震わせる文学的な熱量に満ちています。 絶望から希望を再建しようとする彼の思想は、現代の分断に対する鮮烈な処方箋です。一人の司祭が時代と対峙し、世界を導く指導者へと変貌を遂げていく過程は、精神的なビルドゥングスロマンにも似た深い感動を呼び起こします。政治や文化の担い手へ挑戦し続けるその言葉の力は、信仰の有無を問わず、混迷する時代を生き抜くための勇気を与えてくれるはずです。