Pope Francis is the Roman Catholic Church’s 266th Pope and the sovereign of Vatican City (elected in 2013). Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in Flore, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the eldest child of Regina Maria Siviori and Mario Jose Bergoglio. Jorge became interested in the priesthood after passing by a church one day and later attended the Inmaculada Concepcion Seminary in Buenos Aires. On March 12, 1960, he made his first vows. On April 22, 1973, he took his final oath of obedience. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992. Pope John Paul II elevated him to the rank of cardinal in 2001. Jorge was elected Pope in 2013 at the age of 76. In honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, he chose the name Pope Francis.
Interesting facts about Pope Francis:
Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope in a line of 266.
Pope Francis is the first of the 266 popes from the Americas.
Pope Francis is the first non-European to be elected Pope since Syrian Gregory III in 741.
Pope Francis is fluent in Spanish, Latin, and Italian, and understands Ukrainian, English, German, and Portuguese.
Pope Francis leads a humble life. When he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he took the bus and lived in a simple apartment. When he was elected Pope, he flew to Rome in economy class.
Pope Francis had to have a lung removed as a child due to an infection, but he is otherwise healthy.
In his pre-priest days, Pope Francis was a big fan of the tango.
Prior to becoming a priest, Pope Francis worked as a bouncer in a bar in Buenos Aires.
In 2005, the future Pope Francis finished second to Pope Benedict XVI in the election for the position of Pope.
Pope Francis communicates with his followers via Twitter. On that social platform alone, he is estimated to have approximately seven million followers. @Pontifex is his Twitter handle. He is widely regarded as the most retweeted world leader.
Pope Francis is a huge football fan (or soccer depending on what country).
Pope Francis holds dual citizenship in the Vatican, Italy, and Argentina.
Instead of the apartments used by previous popes, Pope Francis lives in a small guest house in the Vatican.
Pope Francis was named ‘Person of the Year’ by Time Magazine in 2013.
Pope Francis has been known to call some of those who have written to him.
Pope Francis travels around the Vatican grounds in a used 1984 Renault.
Pope Francis has his own set of emojis known as Popemojis.
Pope Francis is known to enjoy reading popular fiction, including J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.
Pope Francis has been known to perform acts that Jesus is said to have performed, such as washing sinners’ feet.
Pope Francis told his high school sweetheart that if he did not marry her, he would become a priest, which he eventually did.
