Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, hailing from the Americas, the Southern Hemisphere, and is the first non-European pope since 741. |
The Pope is a polyglot, proficient in Spanish, Latin, and Italian, with knowledge of German, French, Portuguese, English, and Ukrainian. |
His father, Mario José Bergoglio, was an Italian immigrant accountant born in Portacomaro, Italy's Piedmont region. |
In 1929, Mario José's family left Italy to escape the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini. |
The Pontiff has one functioning lung, as his right lung was removed in his youth due to an infection, yet he maintains good health at nearly 80 years old. |
Prior to becoming a Jesuit, Pope Francis worked as a bouncer in a Buenos Aires bar to support his studies. |
In the 1960s, he taught literature, philosophy, psychology, and theology at various high schools in Argentina. |
At age 12, he expressed love for a neighborhood girl, telling her he would become a priest if they didn't marry - a promise he kept. |
Currently, Pope Francis holds citizenship in Argentina, Italy, and Vatican City. |
In 2013, TIME named Pope Francis Person of the Year for his influential impact on events. |
In 2001, as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 AIDS patients at an Argentine hospice. |
The Pope strongly opposes sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, denouncing such acts as an atrocity and enforcing zero tolerance within the church. |
On 15 March 2024, Pope's autobiography 'Life, My Story Through History' was published, where he expressed a preference for being called 'Bishop Emeritus of Rome' instead of 'Pope Emeritus'. |