Since the publication of his first book in 1982, Jorge Mario Bergoglio wrote prolifically about brotherly love, human dignity, social justice, environmentalism, and the role of the Roman Catholic Church in turbulent times.
Since 2013, he wrote under a different name — Pope Francis.
His first book, “Meditations for the Religious,” was published when this Buenos Aires, Argentina-born priest was a 46-year- old seminary rector.
During his papacy, he penned 72 apostolic letters, 20 constitutions, four encyclicals, two papal bulls, and seven exhortations, in addition to 
various other speeches, homilies, and daily meditations. The encyclicals, most notably, have gained wide attention.
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His first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei” (“The Light of Faith”), was posted just a few months after he became pope in March 2013. In it, he describes the nature of belief and the need for people to renew their faith to create a future for humanity based on charity and love.
While Pope Francis authored this encyclical, he makes clear that his views are a “supplement” to earlier writings about charity and faith by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
“For this I am deeply grateful to him,” Pope Francis wrote, “and as his brother in Christ, I have taken up his fine work and added a few contributions of my own.”
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In “Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship,” published in October 2020, Pope Francis champions friendship and human solidarity. The encyclical promotes a universal aspiration toward fraternity and social friendship.
The encyclical was published against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which, Pope Francis reveals, “unexpectedly erupted” as he “was writing this letter.”
However, he said the pandemic demonstrated that “no one can face life in isolation” and that the time has truly come to “dream, then, as a single human family” in which we are “brothers and sisters all.”
Meanwhile, his 2015 encyclical, “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home,” sparked a global movement with its call for swift action to combat climate change.
The encyclical takes its name from the invocation of St. Francis, “Praise be to you, my Lord,” in his Canticle of the Creatures.
It reminds us that the earth, our common home, “is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.” We have forgotten that “we ourselves are dust of the earth; our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters,” Pope Francis wrote.
The text discusses several interconnected themes. These include the strong link between poverty and the health of the planet and a critique of new technologies and the power structures they create. It encourages Catholics to look for different ways to understand the economy and what progress means.
The encyclical also highlights the value of every living creature and the human aspect of ecology. It calls for honest discussions and emphasizes the responsibilities of both local and international policies. Additionally, it critiques our throwaway culture and suggests adopting a new lifestyle.
His most recent encyclical, “Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”): On the Human and Divine Love of the Heart of Jesus Christ,” came out last October.
Here, Pope Francis calls for the rediscovery of “heart” to achieve peace and unity in a modern era that “uses technology that threaten our humanity.”
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The pope’s last book, “Hope: The Autobiography,” arrived in bookstores this January.
While initially intended to be released after his death, according to its publisher, “the needs of our times and the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope have moved him to make this precious legacy available now.”