In this uplifting and practical book, written in collaboration with his
biographer, Austen Ivereigh, the preeminent spiritual leader explains why
we must—and how we can—make the world safer, fairer, and healthier for all
people now. In the COVID crisis, the beloved shepherd of over one billion
Catholics saw the cruelty and inequity of our society exposed more vividly
than ever before. He also saw, in the resilience, generosity, and
creativity of so many people, the means to rescue our society, our economy,
and our planet. In direct, powerful prose, Pope Francis urges us not to let
the pain be in vain. He begins Let Us Dream by exploring what this crisis
can teach us about how to handle upheaval of any kind in our own lives and
the world at large. With unprecedented candor, he reveals how three crises
in his own life changed him dramatically for the better. By its very
nature, he shows, crisis presents us with a choice: we make a grievous
error if we try to return to some pre-crisis state. But if we have the
courage to change, we can emerge from the crisis better than before.
Francis then offers a brilliant, scathing critique of the systems and
ideologies that conspired to produce the current crisis, from a global
economy obsessed with profit and heedless of the people and environment it
harms, to politicians who foment their people’s fear and use it to increase
their own power at their people’s expense. He reminds us that Christians’
first duty is to serve others, especially the poor and the marginalized,
just as Jesus did. Finally, the Pope offers an inspiring and actionable
blueprint for building a better world for all humanity by putting the poor
and the planet at the heart of new thinking. For this plan, he draws not
only on sacred sources, but on the latest findings from renowned
scientists, economists, activists, and other thinkers. Yet rather than
simply offer prescriptions, he shows how ordinary people acting together
despite their differences can discover unforeseen possibilities. Along the
way, he offers dozens of wise and surprising observations on the value of
unconventional thinking, on why we must dramatically increase women’s
leadership in the Church and throughout society, on what he learned while
scouring the streets of Buenos Aires with garbage-pickers, and much more.
Let Us Dream is an epiphany, a call to arms, and a pleasure to read. It is
Pope Francis at his most personal, profound and passionate. With this book
and with open hearts, we can change the world.