POPE FRANCIS

Pope

Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; born Jorge Mario

Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the reigning pope of the Catholic Church,

in which capacity he is both Bishop of Rome and absolute sovereign of
the Vatican City State.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical
technician and nightclub bouncer before beginningseminary studies.] He was
ordained

a Catholic

Argentina's Provincial

priest in

1969

Superior of

and

from

theSociety

of

1973

to

Jesus.

1979
He

was

became

the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001
by Pope John Paul II.
Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a
papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose
Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis is 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 in
741, 1,272 years earlier.
Throughout his public life, both as an individual and as a religious leader, Pope Francis has been noted for
his humility, his concern for the poor and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all
backgrounds, beliefs and faiths. He is known for having a simpler and less formal approach to the papacy, most
notably by choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than the papal apartments of
the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic he is
known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditionalpapal mozzetta cape
upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had
when he was cardinal.
The Pontiff has affirmed Catholic doctrine on abortion, artificial contraception, and homosexuality. Whilst
maintaining the Church's teaching against homosexual acts, he has said that gay people should not be
marginalized.[ As a cardinal, he opposed same-sex marriage in Argentina. In addition, he maintains that he is a "son
of the Church" regarding loyalty to Church doctrine, has spoken against abortion as "horrific and suggested that
women be valued not clericalized Summarily Pope Francis reiterates that "It is absurd to say you follow Jesus Christ
but reject the Church.
Accordingly, he urged Bishop Charles J. Scicluna of Malta to speak out against adoption by same-sex
couples, maintained

that

Catholics

the Eucharist, and excommunicated a

emphasized

the

Christian

who remarry following

former

obligation

to

Catholic
assist

priest for
the

poor

divorce

may

not

receive

Eucharistic sacrilege and heretical views. He

and

the

needy,

and

promoted peace

negotiations and interfaith dialogue. Pope Francis has also announced a zero-tolerance policy towards sex abuse in
the Church, saying that sex abuse was "as bad as performing a satanic mass.
Elected at the age of 76, Francis is reported to be in good health, and his doctors have stated that his
missing lung tissue, removed in his youth, does not have a significant impact on his health. The only concern would

be decreased respiratory reserve if he had a respiratory infection. In the past, one attack of sciatica in 2007
prevented him from attending a consistory and delayed his return to Argentina for several days.
As pope, his manner is less formal than that of his predecessors: a style that news coverage has referred to
as "no frills," noting that it is "his common touch and accessibility that is proving the greatest inspiration. For
example, on the night of his election, he took the bus back to his hotel with the cardinals, rather than be driven in the
papal car. The next day, he visited CardinalJorge Mara Meja in the hospital and chatted with patients and staff. At
his first media audience, the Friday after his election, the Pope said of Saint Francis of Assisi: "The man who gives
us this spirit of peace, the poor man," and he added "How I would like a poor Church, and for the poor".
In addition to his native Spanish, Francis is also conversant in Latin (the official language of the Holy See),
speaks fluent Italian (the official language of Vatican City and the "everyday language" of the Holy See), and he
understands the Piedmontese dialect and some Genoese, German, French, Portuguese,] English, and Ukrainian.
Francis chose not to live in the official papal residence in the Apostolic Palace, but to remain in the Vatican guest
house, in a suite in which he can receive visitors and hold meetings. He is the first pope since Pope Pius X to live
outside the papal apartments. Francis still appears at the window of the Apostolic Palace for the Sunday Angelus.
Bergoglio was elected pope on 13 March 2013, the
second day of the 2013 papal conclave, taking the papal
name Francis. Francis was elected on the fifth ballot of the
conclave, The Habemus Papam was delivered by Cardinal
protodeacon Jean-Louis

Tauran. Cardinal Christoph

Schnborn later said that Bergoglio was elected following two

supernatural

signs,

one

in

the

conclave

and

hence

confidential, and a Latin American couple of friends of

Schnborn who whispered Bergoglio's name in Schnborn's
ear; Schnborn commented "if these people say Bergoglio,
thats an indication of the Holy Spirit".
Instead of accepting his cardinals' congratulations while seated on the Papal throne, Francis received them
standing, reportedly an immediate sign of a changing approach to formalities at the Vatican. During his first
appearance as pontiff on the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica, he wore a white cassock, not the red, erminetrimmed mozzetta used by the previous Popes. He also wore the same iron pectoral cross that he had worn as
Cardinal Archbishop of Buenos Aires, rather than the gold one worn by his predecessors.
After being elected and choosing his name, his first act was bestowing the Urbi et Orbi blessing to
thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square. Before blessing the pilgrims, he asked those in St. Peter's
Square to pray for his predecessor, pope emeritus Benedict XVI, and for himself.
Pope Francis held his Papal inauguration on 19 March 2013 in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican. He
celebrated Mass in the presence of various political and religious leaders from around the world. In his homily Pope
Francis focused on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, the liturgical day on which the Mass was celebrated.