Religion · Politics · Film · 1936–2025
Born: 17 December 1936 · Died: 21 April 2025 · Age: 88
Argentine Jesuit who led the Catholic Church from 2013 to 2025 as the first pope from the Americas, known for his focus on the poor
Did you know?In his youth, he worked as a nightclub bouncer in Buenos Aires to help fund his studies.
Pope Francis brought a distinctly different style to the papacy from the moment he was elected in 2013. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, he was the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis, after the saint known for simplicity. He chose to live in a modest guesthouse rather than the papal apartments and spoke often about poverty, migration and climate change. His tone on many social questions was seen as more open, though the Church's core teachings stayed largely unchanged. He died in April 2025, after twelve years leading the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City from 13 March 2013 until his death in 2025.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
“Who am I to judge?”
Profile
Argentine pope, born 1936
Pope Francis was born in Flores on 17 December 1936.
He was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
He became Pope in 2013.
He was the first Jesuit and first Latin American pope.
Career highlights
Did you know?He chose his name in honour of St Francis of Assisi.
Questions people ask
1778–1829Photo: Thomas Phillips · Public domain
b. 1975Photo: Kevin Paul · CC BY 4.0
1942–2025Photo: Bayo Omoboriowo · CC BY-SA 4.0
b. 1948Photo: Voice of America · Public domain
b. 1978Photo: Avito C. Dalan for the Philippine News Agency · Public domain
1908–1980Photo: unknown · CC BY-SA 4.0
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1878–1953Photo: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs · Public domain
1770–1827Photo: Joseph Karl Stieler · Public domain
1815–1852Photo: Antoine Claudet · Public domain
1874–1965Photo: Unknown author · Public domain
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