Why, Oh Why, My God?: Meditations on Christian Faith and the Meaning of Life

When Abbé Pierre of the Emmaus communities died at the age 94, the BBC hailed him as "France's leading champion of the destitute and homeless." In his final book, Why, Oh Why, My God?, Abbé Pierre reflects on his life, faith, vocation, and continuing commitment to serving the world's poor. He also offers insights into today's most pressing religious and social issues. Over the period of a year, in conversation with Frédéric Lenoir, Pierre took up his long-term reflection on original sin, evil, and the meaning of life. Despite his age and bad health, he was obsessed by many fundamental questions. Why, Oh Why, My God? is neither a treatise nor a statement, but rather a series of brief meditations on Christian faith and the sense of human life. Not only does it touch on fundamental points of Christian doctrine, but also on intimate and burning topical subjects, such as sexuality and the marriage of priests, the place of women in the church, parenting by same sex partners, and the election of a new pope. Far from being stilted religious propaganda, these meditations represent the essential spiritual and theological preoccupations of the founder of Emmaus community and can be seen as his spiritual testament.