Everything You Need To Know About Pope Francis

The Catholic formerly known as Jorge Bergoglio.

1. Pope Francis was born in 1936 as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the son of an Italian railroad worker who immigrated to Buenos Aires. As a teenager, Bergoglio reportedly had an infected lung removed.

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Image by ENRIQUE MARCARIAN / Reuters

2. On Wednesday, he became the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, though he’s the first Jesuit Pope and the first born in the Americas.

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Image by Michael Sohn / AP

3. Before being elected Pope, Bergoglio was the Cardinal-Priest of S. Roberto Bellarmino and the Cardinal-Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Liniers in August 2009.

Image by MARCOS BRINDICCI / Reuters

4. He also has a master’s degree in chemistry and a licentiate in philosophy. He taught literature and psychology at Argentinian colleges.

Image by ENRIQUE MARCARIAN / Reuters

5. During the 2005 papal conclave, he reportedly got the second-most votes behind Joseph Ratzinger to succeed Pope John Paul II.

Pope Benedict XVI greets Bergoglio at the Vatican in January 2007.
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Image by HANDOUT / Reuters

6. Despite his previous popularity, some bets placed Bergoglio’s papacy chances this time at 30/1.

Bergoglio conducts a mass in honor of Pope John Paul II in April 2005.
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Image by ENRIQUE MARCARIAN / Reuters

7. Bergoglio believes in modesty. In Argentina, he traveled by bus instead of chauffer, lived in a small apartment instead of the cardinal’s residence, and discouraged Argentineans from flying to Rome for papal celebrations.

Bergoglio during a mass for Ash Wednesday 2013.
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Image by JUAN MABROMATA / Getty Images

8. “We live in the most unequal part of the world, which has grown the most yet reduced misery the least,” he said in 2007. “The unjust distribution of goods persists, creating a situation of social sin that cries out to Heaven…”

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Image by Andrew Medichini / AP

9. Bergoglio’s orthodox views are consistent with the church. He opposes abortion, contraception and is outspoken against same-sex marriage, calling a 2010 Argentinian marriage equality bill “destructive” to God’s plan.

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Image by Andrew Medichini / AP

10. Argentinean Catholic leaders have been criticized for their divided role in the Dirty War, when the military orchestrated the “vanishing” of thousands of opponents in the 1970s.

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Image by Natacha Pisarenko / AP

Bergoglio has denied accusations that he conspired with the military to kidnap two Jesuit priests who advocated for overthrowing the regime.

12. The Argentinean bishops apologized in 2000 and 2012, saying they “share everyone’s pain and once again ask the forgiveness of everyone we failed or didn’t support as we should have.”

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Image by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE / Getty Images

13. Bergoglio’s decision to be called “Francis” is a significant one. The most famous Francis in Catholic history is St. Francis of Assisi, who was known for valuing poverty and humility.

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Image by Natacha Pisarenko / AP

CNN vatican expert John Allen called Bergoglio’s choice “stunning” and “precedent shattering … there can be only one Francis.”

15. As Catholic journalist Rocco Palmo noted Wednesday, the name signals Bergoglio’s “desire to be a force of unity in a polarized fold, a heart for the poor, and his intent to … rebuild the church.”

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Image by Natacha Pisarenko / AP