Francis

Francis, before his election - Jorge Mario Bergoglio - the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He was elected on March 13, 2013. He is the first Pope in history from the New World and the first Pope in over 1200 years not to come from Europe, and the first Jesuit Pope. On March 13, 2013, the Roman Catholic Church received a new Pope. The 76-year-old Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pontiff, born and raised in Argentina. He took the name Francis upon ascending to the Holy See. The newly elected Roman Pope will officially be called Francis until one of the next Popes chooses the same name. In that case, the Roman Pope Francis will enter history as Francis I. On the second day of the conclave, the election of the 266th Pope took place, announced by the white smoke that rose from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel. Bergoglio was the only Jesuit among the cardinal electors. His name was not on the list of frontrunners. However, rumors had it that he was the main competitor of Benedict XVI in 2005 when he resigned from his position in February 2013. Biography. Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires as the son of an Italian immigrant who worked as a railway worker. He was the youngest of five children. He graduated as a chemical engineer. He studied at the Villeta Devoto Seminary in Buenos Aires and entered the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958. It is extremely rare for a Jesuit to become a bishop in mission unfriendly countries. Bergoglio achieved this. On May 20, 1992, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires with the title of Titular Bishop of Auki. He was ordained along with other bishops on June 27, 1992, in the cathedral of the capital of Argentina by Antonio Quarracino, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and Cardinal.