Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, to Italian immigrant parents, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was drawn to religious life from an early age.
He studied in Argentina and later in Germany before being ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969.
Unlike many Vatican figures, he had little international exposure early in his career, spending most of his time in Argentina, where he gained a reputation as a humble, austere leader deeply committed to social justice.
His early years were marked by personal hardship.
As a young man, he suffered a severe lung infection and lost a part of his right lung. Despite this, he remained physically active and later became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998.
As a cardinal, Bergoglio was known for his simple lifestyle, often taking public transport instead of using a chauffeur.
His sermons frequently addressed inequality and the struggles of the poor, subtly criticizing governments that failed to protect the most vulnerable. He was seen as a voice for social inclusion, which later became a defining theme of his papacy.
Francis, the Catholic Church’s 266th pope, was the first non-European pope since Gregory Ill, who was born in modern-day Syria and elected in 731.
He chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a 13th-century monk known for his charity and kindness to animals.
He studied philosophy and earned a master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires. He taught literature, psychology, philosophy, and theology before becoming the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital.
In his youth, he enjoyed dancing tango with his girlfriend before discovering his religious vocation.
As a student, he worked as a bouncer in a Buenos Aires bar and had a stint as a janitor.
He was also known for washing the feet of AIDS patients during his time as archbishop — echoing Jesus, in the Bible, washing the feet of his disciples.
From the beginning, Pope Francis set a different tone. He chose not to live in the Apostolic Palace, opting instead for a modest guesthouse in the Vatican.
He rejected many of the formalities of the papacy, signaling a shift toward a more accessible, down-to-earth leadership style.
His early popularity was bolstered by his focus on key reforms. He took swift action to tackle financial corruption within the Vatican, particularly in the scandal-ridden Vatican Bank.
He also restructured the Curia — the church’s administrative body — reducing its bureaucracy and making it more transparent.
When Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis in March 2013, his election was considered unexpected.
At 76, he was older than many anticipated, and as a Jesuit from Argentina, he was a relative outsider to the Vatican establishment.
But his selection was historic — he became the first pope from Latin America and the first member of the Jesuit order to lead the Catholic Church.
Over a decade into his papacy, Francis remained a figure of both admiration and controversy.
He died at age 88 after suffering a prolonged illness, the Vatican announced on Monday.
He suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” associated with thrombocytopenia, according to a previous Vatican statement.