- Born
- Birth nameJorge Mario Bergoglio
- Nicknames
- Papa Pancho
- Red Frankie
- Pope Frank
- Height5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
- Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina. He is a writer, known for Francesco (2020), In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis (2022) and The Private Lives of Jordi Molla' & Domingo Zapata.
- Known for eschewing many of the luxuries of being Pope, such as a private limousine or residence in the Apostolic palace
- He is a polyglot, his native language is Spanish; he speaks Italian, Piedmontese, English, German, Portuguese, French, Ukrainian, and of course, Latin (the official language of the Holy See).
- The first pope from the Americas and from the Southern Hemisphere. He is also the first non-European pope since Syrian-born Pope Gregory III in 741.
- Has spoken out against the death penalty.
- Named Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2013.
- Used the word "genocide" to describe the mass killing of Armenians under Ottoman rule during World War I.
- [on the practice of relocating to other parishes those priests behaving inappropriately with children] This is stupid because the priest continues to carry the problem in his backpack.
- [to the crowds thronging St. Peter's Square following his election] Now I would like to give the blessing, but first I want to ask you a favor. Before the bishop blesses the people, I ask that you would pray to the Lord to bless me - the prayer of the people for their bishop. Let us say this prayer - your prayer for me - in silence.
- [on the issue of abortion] Preventing the development of a being that already has the genetic code of a human being is not ethical.
- [to the cardinals who elected him the new pontiff] May God forgive you.
- [as Cardinal Bergoglio, on whether demanding celibacy lies at the core of clerical sex abuse] If a priest is a pedophile, he is so before he becomes a priest.
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