biography of the holy father francis

Pope Francis

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first pope from the Americas.

Who Is Pope Francis?

Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis on March 13, 2013, when he was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. Bergoglio, the first pope from the Americas, took his papal title after St. Francis of Assisi of Italy. Prior to his election as pope, Bergoglio served as archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1998 to 2013 (succeeding Antonio Quarracino), as cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church of Argentina from 2001 to 2013, and as president of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 2005 to 2011. Named Person of the Year by Time magazine in 2013, Pope Francis has embarked on a tenure characterized by humility and outspoken support of the world's poor and marginalized people and has been involved actively in areas of political diplomacy and environmental advocacy.

Early Life and Education

Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, to Italian immigrants. As a young man, Bergoglio underwent surgery to remove part of one of his lungs due to a serious infection. He graduated from a technical school as a chemical technician before beginning training at the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto. In March 1958, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus.

Bergoglio taught literature and psychology at Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fé in 1964 and 1965 and also taught the same subjects at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires in 1966. He studied theology and received a degree from the Colegio of San José from 1967 to 1970, and finished his doctoral thesis in theology in Freiburg, Germany in 1986.

Entering Priesthood

Ordained as a priest in December 1969, Bergoglio began serving as Jesuit provincial of Argentina in 1973. He has said that initially, his mother did not support his decision to enter the priesthood, despite the fact that she was a devout Catholic. By the time he was ordained, however, she accepted his calling and asked for his blessing at the end of his ordination ceremony. He later returned to his alma mater, the Colegio of San José, where he served as rector (1980-86) as well as a professor of theology.

On May 20, 1992, Bergoglio was named titular bishop of Auca and auxiliary of Buenos Aires; he was ordained into that post a week later. In February 1998, he became archbishop of Buenos Aires, succeeding Antonio Quarracino. Three years later, in February 2001, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope John Paul II , named the cardinal-priest of Saint Robert Bellarmino. In 2005, he was named president of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina, serving in that position until 2011.

After Pope John Paul II's death in April 2005, Bergoglio reportedly received the second-most votes in the 2005 papal conclave; Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) was chosen as Pope John Paul's successor.

Becoming Pope

On March 13, 2013, at the age of 76, Bergoglio was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church — becoming the first citizen from the Americas, the first non-European and first Jesuit priest to be named pope, and adopting the name Pope Francis (he took the title after St. Francis of Assisi of Italy). Prior to the 2013 papal conclave, Pope Francis had served as both archbishop and cardinal for more than 12 years.

The tone of his papacy, which has become admired globally, was established long before his elevation to the church's highest position; however, when he was named to that post, the media quickly picked up on stories of his humility. News circulated about the fact that he returned to the boarding house where he had been staying to pay his bill personally, rather than send an assistant, and that he would choose to live in a simple two-room apartment rather than the luxurious papal accommodations in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. In choosing to live more simply, Pope Francis broke a tradition that had been upheld by popes for more than a century.

Addressing a crowd of tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square, in the Vatican City in Rome, Italy, after his selection by the conclave, Pope Francis stated, "As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from faraway. . . . Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace."

After the results of the 2013 papal conclave were announced, U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement about the new pope: "As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day."

It was not long after assuming the papacy that Pope Francis began offering more nuanced views and interpretations on key social issues about which the church holds pronounced doctrinal views. He has not shied away from elaborating on those views, and sound bytes such as “Who am I to judge?”, a comment he made referring to homosexuality, have served to portray him as a compassionate conservative whose views are often considered progressive compared to those of his predecessors.

First International Visit as Pope

Pope Francis made his first international visit on July 22, 2013, when he arrived at the Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There, he was greeted by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff in a welcome ceremony and later circulated in downtown Rio in order to be "close to the people."

While in Rio, Pope Francis was on hand to celebrate World Youth Day. More than three million people attended the pontiff's closing mass at the event. On his way back to Rome, Pope Francis surprised reporters traveling with him regarding his seemingly open stance on gay Catholics. According to The New York Times , he told the press: "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?" His remarks were heralded by several gay and lesbian groups as a welcoming gesture by the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope as Spiritual and World Leader

In September 2013, Pope Francis called for others to join him in praying for peace in Syria. The pontiff held a special vigil in St. Peter's Square on September 7, which was attended by an estimated 100,000 people. According to the Catholic News Service, Francis told the crowd that "When man thinks only of himself...[and] permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power..., [t]hen the door opens to violence, indifference, and conflict."

The pope implored those involved in the conflict to find a peaceful solution. "Leave behind the self-interest that hardens your heart, overcome the indifference that makes your heart insensitive towards others, conquer your deadly reasoning, and open yourself to dialogue and reconciliation."

Later that month, Pope Francis gave a revealing interview to an Italian Jesuit publication called La Civiltà Cattolica . He explained that religious dialogue must be broader in scope, not simply focused on such issues as homosexuality and abortion. "We have to find a new balance; otherwise, even the moral edifice of the church is likely to fall like a house of cards, losing the freshness and fragrance of the Gospel," the pope said. "The proposal of the Gospel must be more simple, profound, radiant. It is from this proposition that the moral consequences then flow."

While he does not believe women should be ordained as priests, Francis considers women an essential part of the church. "The feminine genius is needed wherever we make important decisions," he said. He also continued to present a more accepting attitude toward homosexuality than previous pontiffs, saying that "God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person," according to The Guardian .

In early December 2013, Pope Francis gave an "apostolic exhortation," an address calling for big changes in the Catholic Church, including rethinking long-held but antiquated customs. "I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security," he stated. "I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures."

Also in December 2013, Pope Francis was named Person of the Year by Time magazine. Pope Francis — having joined the ranks of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII, the only other popes to be awarded the title in 1994 and 1963, respectively—was a contender against other prominent figures of the year, including Edward Snowden , Senator Ted Cruz , Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Edith Windsor. In the article, it was revealed that the deciding factor that led to Pope Francis landing at the top of the list, was his ability to alter the minds of so many people who had given up on the Catholic church in such a short period of time

The following March, it was announced that Pope Francis had been nominated for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. He did not receive this honor, but he continued to devote his time to reach out to Catholics around the world. During that summer, Pope Francis went on his first visit to Asia. He spent five days in South Korea in August.

On his return trip from South Korea, Pope Francis discussed his own mortality with the press. "Two or three years and then I'll be off to my Father's house," he said, according to a report in The Guardian . He also suffered a personal loss around that same time after several members of his family were killed in a car accident in Argentina.

Progressive Stances

That fall, Pope Francis showed himself to be progressive on several scientific issues. He told the members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences that he supported the Big Bang theory and evolution. According to The Independent newspaper, Pope Francis said that "The Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine creator but, rather, requires it." He also said that evolution "is not inconsistent with the notion of creation."

Throughout late 2014 and into 2015, Pope Francis continued his pattern of deep engagement with both political and environmental conflicts around the world. He spoke out against global abuses and the misuse of political and economic power, lamenting the disappearances and suspected murders of 43 students in Mexico; the dangers and losses of life caused by immigration; financial mismanagement within the church itself; and sexual abuse. His decision to crack down on church corruption and excommunicate members of the Mafia were hailed by Catholics and non-Catholics alike, though they also caused him to receive death threats.

The Pope tackled other political blockades too, bringing together Presidents Raul Castro , of Cuba, and President Barack Obama , of the United States, in a historic meeting that precipitated significant foreign policy changes. Finally, his ambitious schedule of travel continued, with visits to Paraguay, Bolivia, and Ecuador, as have beatifications. To date, he has beatified more than three dozen people, including Óscar Romero, a priest from El Salvador who was assassinated in 1980 because of his espousal of liberation theology and his activism to protect marginalized people.

In September 2015, Pope Francis continued to stir up the status quo in the Catholic Church when he announced that priests around the world will be allowed to forgive the “sin of abortion” during a “year of mercy,” which starts December 8, 2015 and ends November 20, 2016. The Pope wrote about this act of compassion in a letter , stating: “I think in particular of all the women who have resorted to abortion. I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal. I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope."

He added: "The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father. For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it."

On November 21, 2016, as the Jubilee Year of Mercy ended, the Vatican announced that the Pope had extended the dispensation to all priests to absolve "the grave sin" of abortion. The policy was documented in an apostolic letter written by the Pope, which stated: " . . .I henceforth grant to all priests, in virtue of their ministry, the faculty to absolve those who have committed the sin of procured abortion. The provision I had made in this regard, limited to the duration of the Extraordinary Holy Year, is hereby extended, notwithstanding anything to the contrary. I wish to restate as firmly as I can that abortion is a grave sin, since it puts an end to an innocent life. In the same way, however, I can and must state that there is no sin that God’s mercy cannot reach and wipe away when it finds a repentant heart seeking to be reconciled with the Father. May every priest, therefore, be a guide, support and comfort to penitents on this journey of special reconciliation."

In November 2017, Pope Francis visited Myanmar amid a humanitarian crisis that had sparked the exodus of more than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims from the country. The pope first met with powerful military General Min Aung Hlaing, who refuted reports of ethnic cleansing by claiming there was "no religious discrimination in Myanmar."

He then made a joint appearance with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi to deliver a highly anticipated speech in which he called for tolerance, but also avoided using the delicate term "Rohingya" and stopped short of condemning the persecution, drawing criticism from those who wanted to see a more forceful stance. The Pope also met with other religious leaders, after which he headed to Bangladesh to show support for Rohingya refugees.

During a television interview in early December, Pope Francis suggested a small but meaningful change to "Our Father," commonly known as the "Lord's Prayer." One line in the prayer had been recited for generations in English as "lead us not into temptation," but the Pope said that was "not a good translation," pointing out the French Catholic translation, "do not let us fall into temptation" as a more appropriate alternative.

After expressing support of breastfeeding in public during the annual Holy Mass on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in 2017, the Pope made similar comments during the 2018 ceremony. Noting how one baby crying would spark others to follow suit, he said that if the babies in attendance were "starting a concert" of crying because they were hungry, then mothers should feel free to feed them right there as part of the "language of love."

In August 2018, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had approved a change to the Catechism of the Catholic Church that now considers the death penalty "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person." The church explained the new policy as an "evolution" of the previous doctrine, which allowed consideration of capital punishment if it were "the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor." The Pope had previously spoken out against the death penalty, saying it violated the Gospel.

Not all of the Pope's decisions were designed to bring about change: A papal letter made public in February 2020 revealed his rejection of a proposal to allow the ordination of married men in remote areas underserved by priests, an outcome that pleased Catholic conservatives who worried about the weakening of church traditions.

In October 2020, Pope Francis expressed his support for same-sex civil unions as seen in the documentary Francisco . “What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered,” Francis said in the documentary.

Sexual Abuse

Normally greeted by adoring crowds, Pope Francis faced hostility ahead of his three-day trip to Chile in January 2018, stemming from lingering anger over his appointment of a bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse by another priest. At least five churches were attacked in the days leading up to his visit, with vandals leaving a threatening message directed at the Pope in one case.

Upon his arrival, Pope Francis delivered a speech in which he asked for forgiveness for the pain caused by some ministers of the church and promised to do his best to make sure such abuse never happened again. However, he subsequently angered sexual abuse victims by claiming he had yet to learn of any "proof" of an alleged cover-up by the bishop in question.

Shortly after the Pope returned to Rome in late January, the Vatican announced that it was dispatching Archbishop Charles Scicluna — the church's " Eliot Ness " of sex abuse investigations—to Chile to look into the issue and "hear those who have expressed the desire to provide elements in their possession."

The archbishop's investigation, which included interviews with dozens of witnesses and produced a 2,300-page report, had a powerful effect on Pope Francis. In April, the Vatican announced that Chilean bishops were being summoned to Rome for emergency discussions, and released a letter in which the Pope acknowledged "serious mistakes" in his handling of the matter, saying he felt "pain and shame" for the "crucified lives" of victims.

Late in the month, it was announced that the Pope would host three of the victims from Chile. The Vatican said that the Pope would meet with each man individually, "allowing each one to speak for as long as they wish."

In August 2018, a Pennsylvania grand jury report described the actions of more than 300 "predator priests" and their 1,000-plus underage victims, as well as attempts to cover up their misdeeds. Initially silent, the Pope weighed in with a letter released by the Vatican nearly a week later, in which he acknowledged "with shame and repentance" the church's failure to properly act in response to the longstanding allegations.

Days later, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, the former top Vatican diplomat in the United States, published a letter that accused Pope Francis of covering up reports of sexual abuse by recently resigned Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington, D.C.

After defrocking McCarrick in February 2019, the Pope convened a four-day summit at the Vatican devoted to the longstanding problem of sexual abuse. Titled "The Protection of Minors in the Church," the summit drew 190 church leaders from around the world. However, its conclusion was followed by news that the Pope's financial adviser, Australian Cardinal George Pell, had been convicted of sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys.

In December 2019, Pope Francis announced that the church would be abolishing the rule of "pontifical secrecy" in matters related to sexual abuse, allowing for increased cooperation with secular authorities. The Pope also raised the age at which the Vatican considers the subjects of pornographic images to be grouped under child pornography from 14 to 18.

Pope as Environmental Activist

In June 2015, Pope Francis spoke out about the environment. He released a 184-page encyclical , a type of Papal message, warning of the dangers of climate change. In this letter, entitled "Laudato Si," Pope Francis wrote: “If present trends continue, this century may well witness extraordinary climate change and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us."

Pope Francis chided world leaders for failing to "reach truly meaningful and effective global agreements on the environment." He also called for "highly polluting fossil fuels" to be "progressively replaced without delay." And while improving and protecting the environment will be difficult, the situation is not hopeless, according to Pope Francis. "Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start." The encyclical was considered significant by environmentalists and church observers alike because it was not directed exclusively to Catholics, but to everyone in the world.

'A Man of His Word'

Pope Francis: A Man of His Word debuted at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The documentary, written and directed by Wim Wenders, shows the Pope's "work of reform and his answers to today’s global questions from death, social justice, immigration, ecology, wealth inequality, materialism, and the role of the family." A co-production with the Vatican, the film also follows the Pope on his journeys around to world to places like the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem and Ground Zero to the Holy Land and Africa.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth date: December 17, 1936
• Birth City: Buenos Aires
• Birth Country: Argentina
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first pope from the Americas.
• Christianity
• Astrological Sign: Sagittarius
• Diocesan Seminary Of Villa Devoto
• Colegio Of San José
• Nationalities
• Interesting Facts
• Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina, is the first pope to have come from the Americas.
• Pope Francis was nominated for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
• In addition to his native Spanish, Bergoglio speaks Italian and German.

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• I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the center and then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures.
• As you know, the duty of the conclave was to appoint a bishop of Rome. It seems to me that my brother cardinals have chosen one who is from faraway. ... Here I am. I would like to thank you for your embrace.
• My people are poor and I am one of them.
• We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any other kind.
• A good political leader is one who, with the interests of all in mind, seizes the moment in a spirit of openness and pragmatism. A good political leader always opts to initiate processes rather than possessing spaces…
• Being at the service of dialogue and peace also means being truly determined to minimize and, in the long term, to end the many armed conflicts throughout our world. Here we have to ask ourselves: Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society? Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money: money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood. In the face of this shameful and culpable silence, it is our duty to confront the problem and to stop the arms trade.
• A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology or an economic system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom and individual freedoms.
• The contemporary world, with its open wounds which affect so many of our brothers and sisters, demands that we confront every form of polarization which would divide it into these two camps.
• We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.

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Biography of the Holy Father Francis

About this article.

The first Pope of the Americas Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Argentina. The 76-year-old Jesuit Archbishop of Buenos Aires is a prominent figure throughout the continent, yet remains a simple pastor who is deeply loved by his diocese, throughout which he has travelled extensively on the underground and by bus during the 15 years of his episcopal ministry.

“My people are poor and I am one of them”, he has said more than once, explaining his decision to live in an apartment and cook his own supper. He has always advised his priests to show mercy and apostolic courage and to keep their doors open to everyone. The worst thing that could happen to the Church, he has said on various occasions, “is what de Lubac called spiritual worldliness”, which means, “being self-centred”. And when he speaks of social justice, he calls people first of all to pick up the Catechism , to rediscover the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. His project is simple: if you follow Christ, you understand that “trampling upon a person’s dignity is a serious sin”.

Despite his reserved character — his official biography consists of only a few lines, at least until his appointment as Archbishop of Buenos Aires — he became a reference point because of the strong stances he took during the dramatic financial crisis that overwhelmed the country in 2001.

He was born in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936, the son of Italian immigrants. His father Mario was an accountant employed by the railways and his mother Regina Sivori was a committed wife dedicated to raising their five children. He graduated as a chemical technician and then chose the path of the priesthood, entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto. On 11 March 1958 he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. He completed his studies of the humanities in Chile and returned to Argentina in 1963 to graduate with a degree in philosophy from the Colegio de San José in San Miguel. From 1964 to 1965 he taught literature and psychology at Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fé and in 1966 he taught the same subject at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires. From 1967-70 he studied theology and obtained a degree from the Colegio of San José.

On 13 December 1969 he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano. He continued his training between 1970 and 1971 at the University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and on 22 April 1973 made his final profession with the Jesuits. Back in Argentina, he was novice master at Villa Barilari, San Miguel; professor at the Faculty of Theology of San Miguel; consultor to the Province of the Society of Jesus and also Rector of the Colegio Máximo of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology.

On 31 July 1973 he was appointed Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina, an office he held for six years. He then resumed his work in the university sector and from 1980 to 1986 served once again as Rector of the Colegio de San José, as well as parish priest, again in San Miguel. In March 1986 he went to Germany to finish his doctoral thesis; his superiors then sent him to the Colegio del Salvador in Buenos Aires and next to the Jesuit Church in the city of Córdoba as spiritual director and confessor.

It was Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who wanted him as a close collaborator. So, on 20 May 1992 Pope John Paul II appointed him titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires. On 27 May he received episcopal ordination from the Cardinal in the cathedral. He chose as his episcopal motto, miserando atque eligendo , and on his coat of arms inserted the ihs, the symbol of the Society of Jesus.

He gave his first interview as a bishop to a parish newsletter, Estrellita de Belém . He was immediately appointed Episcopal Vicar of the Flores district and on 21 December 1993 was also entrusted with the office of Vicar General of the Archdiocese. Thus it came as no surprise when, on 3 June 1997, he was raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Not even nine months had passed when, upon the death of Cardinal Quarracino, he succeeded him on 28 February 1998, as Archbishop, Primate of Argentina and Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who have no Ordinary of their own rite.

Three years later at the Consistory of 21 February 2001, John Paul ii created him Cardinal, assigning him the title of San Roberto Bellarmino. He asked the faithful not to come to Rome to celebrate his creation as Cardinal but rather to donate to the poor what they would have spent on the journey. As Grand Chancellor of the Catholic University of Argentina, he is the author of the books: Meditaciones para religiosos (1982), Reflexiones sobre la vida apostólica (1992) and Reflexiones de esperanza (1992).

In October 2001 he was appointed General Relator to the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Episcopal Ministry. This task was entrusted to him at the last minute to replace Cardinal Edward Michael Egan, Archbishop of New York, who was obliged to stay in his homeland because of the terrorist attacks on September 11th. At the Synod he placed particular emphasis on “the prophetic mission of the bishop”, his being a “prophet of justice”, his duty to “preach ceaselessly” the social doctrine of the Church and also “to express an authentic judgement in matters of faith and morals”.

All the while Cardinal Bergoglio was becoming ever more popular in Latin America. Despite this, he never relaxed his sober approach or his strict lifestyle, which some have defined as almost “ascetic”. In this spirit of poverty, he declined to be appointed as President of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference in 2002, but three years later he was elected and then, in 2008, reconfirmed for a further three-year mandate. Meanwhile in April 2005 he took part in the Conclave in which Pope Benedict XVI was elected.

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires — a diocese with more than three million inhabitants — he conceived of a missionary project based on communion and evangelization. He had four main goals: open and brotherly communities, an informed laity playing a lead role, evangelization efforts addressed to every inhabitant of the city, and assistance to the poor and the sick. He aimed to reevangelize Buenos Aires, “taking into account those who live there, its structure and its history”. He asked priests and lay people to work together. In September 2009 he launched the solidarity campaign for the bicentenary of the Independence of the country. Two hundred charitable agencies are to be set up by 2016. And on a continental scale, he expected much from the impact of the message of the Aparecida Conference in 2007, to the point of describing it as the “ Evangelii Nuntiandi of Latin America”.

Until the beginning of the recent sede vacante , he was a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for the Clergy, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

L'Osservatore Romano , Year LXIII, number 12

© copyright 2013 - libreria editrice vaticana, acknowledgments, related videos.

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Pope Francis | Biography

Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on Dec. 17, 1936 in Buenos Aires. His father was a railway worker who immigrated to Argentina from Italy, and his mother was a housewife of Italian origin. Bergoglio had four siblings. 

After earning a secondary school degree as a chemical technician, Bergoglio felt a call to the priesthood as a Jesuit, joining the novitiate in 1958, at the age of 22.

He was ordained a priest on Dec. 13, 1969. In 1973 he made his perpetual vows in the Society of Jesus and the same year was elected Jesuit provincial for Argentina. He would go on to serve as a seminary rector, a pastor, a professor, and a spiritual director.

In 1992 Fr. Bergoglio was consecrated an auxiliary bishop of the Buenos Aires archdiocese. He became the archdiocese’s coadjutor archbishop in 1997, and succeeded as archbishop the following year. St. John Paul II named Archbishop Bergoglio a cardinal in 2001.

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio was known for his humble demeanor. He stayed in a modest apartment and took public transit. He also showed a special regard for the poor, whom he frequently visited. 

As president of the Argentine bishops’ conference from 2005 to 2011, Bergoglio attended the Fifth Latin American Episcopal Conference held in Aparecida, Brazil in May 2007.

He was in charge of the drafting of the meeting’s final document, which came to be known as the Aparecida document, recognized as an important guiding document for the Church in Latin America and beyond.

On March 13, 2013, Bergoglio was elected to the papacy, at the age of 76. He was the first Jesuit and the first Latin American to become pope.

Pope Francis took office following the unexpected resignation of Benedict XVI. With few modifications, Francis published a final version of Benedict’s draft encyclical as his first: the 2013 work Lumen fidei.

The early months of the Francis papacy included several surprises, amplified by social media coverage which helped build his unanticipated popularity. 

His unexpected visit to the small Mediterranean Italian island of Lampedusa in July 2013 drew attention to the plight of undocumented African migrants who, at great risk, cross by sea to enter Europe. There, he echoed what has become a theme of his papacy: the criticism of the “globalization of indifference,” an attitude that forgets the sufferings of the marginalized, especially migrants and refugees.

Later, in his 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato si’, Francis also lamented a “throwaway culture” which idolizes profit and marginalizes the poor and unemployed. He suggested this mindset requires the elimination of human beings, the poor, the elderly, and the unborn. Laudato si’ also emphasized “care for our common home,” another recurring theme in Francis’ papacy. 

In the first seven years of his pontificate, the pope made over 30 international trips and visited more than 45 countries, including a July 2013 visit to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day, where he offered Mass for an estimated three million pilgrims on Copacabana Beach.

In May 2014 he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to mark the 50th anniversary of the meeting between St. Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras in Jerusalem.

He visited Sri Lanka and the Philippines, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as several Latin America and African countries in 2015.

Pope Francis visited Cuba and the U.S. in late 2015. During his U.S. visit he canonized Fr. Junipero Serra, a seventeenth-century Franciscan missionary to what is now the state of California. He also attended the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.

In 2016, he traveled to Mexico, Greece, the South Caucasus, Poland, and Sweden. Many of his visits focused on ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.

The following year, he visited Egypt, Burma, and Bangladesh. His visit to Portugal marked the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparition at Fatima, and his trip to Colombia focused on the de-escalation of the armed conflict between the nation’s government and left-wing guerrillas.

In 2018 and 2019 he traveled to Switzerland, the World Meeting of Families in Ireland, the Baltic States, World Youth Day in Panama, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Romania, Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Thailand, and Japan. 

He also visited the Muslim-majority countries of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. He was the first pope in history to travel to the Arabian peninsula. While there, he signed a joint statement on human fraternity with Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of al-Azhar, which formed the basis of future Vatican interreligious initiatives.

During his trip to Peru and Chile in January 2018, Francis sparked an outcry when in comments to a reporter, he defended the then-bishop of Osorno, Chile, Bishop Juan Barros, who had been accused of colluding to cover up the abuse of the notorious abuser priest, Fernando Karadima.     The following April the pope wrote a letter apologizing to Chile’s bishops for his mistakes in handling the sex abuse crisis in their country. He also invited the bishops to meet with him in Rome, a gathering which ended in all of Chile’s bishops presenting him with their resignations at the same time.

He accepted Bishop Juan Barros’ resignation in June 2018.

In February 2019 the pope hosted an unprecedented Vatican summit to discuss the sex abuse crisis and the protection of minors and vulnerable adults.

The four-day gathering included the president’s of the world’s bishops’ conferences and was followed three months later by the pope’s promulgation of “Vos estis lux mundi,” which created policy on sexual abuse allegations made against bishops.

Other major features of Francis’ papacy were the 2019 Synod on the Amazon and 2018 Youth synod. These were followed by the apostolic exhortations Querida Amazonia and Christus vivit.

Pope Francis also held Synods of Bishops on the family in 2014 and 2015. His post-synodal apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia, which was published in 2016, was met with a varied reception and interpretation within the Church.

Its eighth chapter, on accompanying, discerning, and integrating fragility dealt with, among other things, the pastoral care of the divorced-and-remarried. A footnote in that chapter led to uncertainties about the admission of the divorced-and-remarried to Communion.

Mercy is a prominent theme of Pope Francis’s pontificate. He made changes to the annulment process, aimed at removing some of the financial burden and shortening the process. 

He also declared the Jubilee Year of Mercy in the Church from December 2015 to November 2016.

In April 2018, he released the exhortation Gaudete et exsultate, which praised the “middle-class” of holiness. 

Francis canonized a number of saints, among them his predecessors John Paul II, John XXIII, and Paul VI. 

Soon after his election in 2013, Pope Francis established a committee of cardinals to advise him on reform of the Roman Curia, specifically, the drafting of a new apostolic constitution to replace the 1988 constitution Pastor bonus.

His reform included the consolidation of several dicasteries, the establishment of new offices, and efforts to modernize Vatican financial practices.

He established both the Secretariat for the Economy and the Secretariat for Communications, which was later renamed a dicastery. The Pontifical Councils for the Family and the Laity were suppressed and integrated into the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life; and the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development subsumed the suppressed Pontifical Councils Cor Unum and for Health Care Workers, Justice and Peace, and Migrants.

In early 2020, Pope Francis responded to the global coronavirus outbreak by livestreaming and televising his weekly events, such as his daily Mass, Wednesday general audience and Sunday Angelus or Regina coeli, without the presence of the public.

The Vatican’s Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter celebrations were likewise held without a large public presence.

In response to the health emergency, the pope also gave a special address with Eucharistic adoration and an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing in an empty St. Peter’s Square on the evening of March 27, 2020.   

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The Spiritual Journey of the Holy Father Pope Francis

Pope Francis is one of the most well-known public figures globally, and his Catholic leadership is admired by many, regardless of religious affiliation. The life path that Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis’ birth name) has followed to become pope is quite inspiring and even a bit miraculous! He is the first Pope elected from the Southern Hemisphere and the Americas, and the first from the Jesuit order.

Pope Francis: A Life to Inspire

The boy who would one day become Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936, in Argentina, to humble beginnings. He worked as a janitor before studying chemistry and becoming a food science technician. As a young man, he contracted a severe and debilitating respiratory illness, and upon his recovery, he joined the Jesuits (also known as the Society of Jesus).

After years of religious education, community service , and training, in 1969, he became a Catholic priest, a role he humbly served in for nearly 30 years. It wasn’t until 1998 that he was named the Archbishop of Buenos Aires and then Cardinal in 2001. He served as Cardinal for over a decade until Pope Benedict XVI resigned in 2013. It was then, at the age of 76, that the papal conclave elected him Pope.

How the Pope Got His Name

Bergoglio chose the name Francis because of his admiration for Saint Francis of Assisi. It marks the first time a Pope has taken that name. Much like his namesake, Pope Francis’ messages often focus on humility, prayer , God’s mercy, care for the marginalized and disadvantaged, and the importance of interfaith dialogue.

Unlike the Popes who came before him, Francis is less formal in how he lives each day. For example, he prefers to reside and receive visitors at the Vatican guesthouse instead of in the Palace apartment.

The Value of a Simple, Humble Life

To those from Argentina, these leadership and lifestyle choices are not surprising. Throughout the forty-five years he served as a priest, archbishop, and cardinal, he was known for his humility, commitment to the poor and social justice, and a conservative approach to the Catholic faith.

He was frequently seen taking public transportation instead of having a driver and enjoyed cooking his meals instead of having a housekeeper. He was also known for writing many letters into which he often enclosed a small card devoted to St. Thérèse of Lisieux , whom he considered a great example of how Catholics can devote themselves to the Lord.

Conservative but Not Traditional

As a Catholic conservative, Francis holds traditional views regarding contraception, celibacy for clerics, and women’s role in the church. He is also known for speaking out against rampant consumerism and advocates for environmental interventions to reverse climate change. While Pope Francis may espouse traditional Catholic values, he is not averse to embracing technology to reach a wider audience and connect with all people!

In 2016, Pope Francis’ Instagram account broke social media records within twelve hours, as millions of followers connected to his words and photographs. He frequently mentions the pros and cons of technology and urges people to use it as a means for good and to spread God’s love so that all might be liberated!

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The life and ministry of pope francis, key events before his papacy, 2013 notable events.

Nov. 9, 2013: Vatican issues a worldwide survey on social issues in advance of the third Extraordinary General Assembly of Bishops on the theme: "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization." The Synod is slated to take place October 5-19, 2014. November 15, 2013: Issues Apostolic Letter approving the new statutes of the Financial Intelligence Authority. November 24, 2013: Releases Evangelii Gaudium, (The Joy of the Gospel) his first apostolic exhortation on the proclamation of the Gospel in today's world. November 26, 2013: Receives Russian president Vladimir Putin at the Vatican. December 11, 2013: Is named Time magazine's person of the year. December 17, 2013: Appoints Cardinal Donald Wuerl to the Congregation for Bishops. December 24, 2013: Meets with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the monastery Mater Ecclesia. Also visits children at a local hospital. December 24-25, 2013: Celebrates his first Midnight Mass as head of the Roman Catholic Church at St. Peter's Basilica.

2014 Notable Events

January 16, 2014: Receives in audience Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop emeritus of Los Angeles. January 30, 2014: Receives a delegation from the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, at the Vatican on the occasion of the inauguration of the University's "Rome Center." February 19, 2014: Appoints Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Archbishop William C. Skurla of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, as members of the Congregation for Eastern Churches. February 22, 2014: On the occasion of the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, 19 new cardinals from 12 countries around the world, including Asia, Africa and Latin America are officially installed at a special consistory for the creation of new cardinals. February 24, 2014: Issues Apostolic Letter establishing a new coordinating agency for the economic and administrative affair of the Holy See and Vatican City State. March 27, 2014: Receives in audience U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican. April 3, 2014: Received Queen Elizabeth II at the Vatican. April 12: Washes the feet of 12 patients during the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday.The Mass was celebrated in the Chapel of the Santa Maria della Provvidenza Centre, in Italy. April 27, 2014: Presides Holy Mass and Canonization of Blesseds Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII from St. Peter's Square. April 28-30: Holds fourth meeting with the "Council of Cardinals" on Church governance and to develop a plan to revise the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia. May 24-26, 2014: Leads a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and meets with Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and the leaders of the Churches in Jerusalem to commemorate and renew the commitment to unity expressed 50 years earlier by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople. May 26, 2014: Prays for victims of the Holocaust and of terrorist attacks during a visit to the Yad Vashem Memorial in Jerusalem.Meets with Holocaust survivors and hears their personal stories. June 8, 2014: Leads an unprecedented prayer service for peace in the Middle East. Israel's President, June 26, 2014: Vatican releases working document "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization," ahead of the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. June 29, 2014: Twenty-four recently installed archbishops from around the world, including Archbishop Leonard Blair of Hartford, Connecticut, receive the pallium at a special liturgy at the Vatican celebrated on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul. July 7, 2014: Meets for the first time with six survivors of clerical sexual abuse at the Vatican and reiterates his message of zero tolerance, accountability and continued commitment to prevention. July 14, 2014: Sends a message to the international community urging intervention and protection of minors in the humanitarian crisis of thousands of migrant children from Central America fleeing to the United States. July 22, 2014: Names Fr. John W. Crossin, executive director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as consultant to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. He appointed three new members and 10 consultants. July 27, 2014: Extends a plea to stop armed conflicts in the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine as he recalled the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, observed July 28. August 13-18, 2014: Apostolic journey to South Korea on the occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day and the beatification of 123 Korean martyrs. August 18, 2014: Sends a letter to Cardinal Justin Rigali, appointed as his Special Envoy for the celebration in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on August 24, 2014, marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the City of St. Louis. August 21, 2014: Expresses condolences over a phone call to the parents of American journalist James Foley, killed by the Islamic State group in Syria. September 4, 2014: Holds an online, worldwide video conference with students of the Scholas Occurrentes social network in five continents. September 20, 2014: Appoints Bishop Blase J. Cupich of Spokane, Washington, as Archbishop of Chicago. September 21, 2014: Apostolic journey to Albania. September 23, 2014: Message on the occasion of the celebration of the 101st World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2015. October 5-19, 2014: Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on "The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in the Context of Evangelization." November 25, 2014: Addresses the members of the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. November 28, 2014: Issues Apostolic Letter on the occasion of the Year of Consecrated Life. November 28-30, 2014: Apostolic journey to Turkey. November 30, 2015: Issues his message for the opening of the Year of Consecrated Life. December 2, 2014: Joined by Anglican, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu religious leaders, Pope Francis signs a jointFaith Leaders' Universal Declaration Against Slavery on the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. December 9, 2014: Message on the occasion of the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. December 23, 2014: Letter to persecuted Christians in the Middle East. December 25, 2014: Delivers his message Urbi et Orbi.

2015 Notable Events

January 12-19, 2015: Apostolic journey to Sri-Lanka and the Philippines. Canonizes St. Joseph Vaz, Sri Lanka's first saint. February 14, 2015: 20 new cardinals from countries around the world, including Asia and Latin America are officially installed at a special consistory for the creation of new cardinals. April 6, 2015: Celebrates Mass of the Lord's Supper in the Rebibbia prison in Rome and washes the feet of 12 detainees. May 23, 2015: Sent letter to the Archbishop of San Salvador on the occasion of the beatification of Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero. June 6, 2015: Apostolic visit to Sarajevo (Bosnia). June 18, 2015: Issued Encyclical Letter Laudato si' on care for our common home. July 5-12, 2015: Apostolic journey to Paraguay, Ecuador and Bolivia September 8, 2015: Issues Apostolic Letters on the reform of canonical procedure for the annulment of marriage in the Code of Canon Law. September 19-27, 2015: Apostolic Journey to Cuba and to the United States. Pope Francis addresses Congress and the United Nations.

Franciscan Tradition & Resources

7 key moments in the life of st. francis.

• October 5, 2022
• Jack Wintz, OFM
• Franciscan Tradition and Resources

Before looking at the first key moment in the life of St. Francis of Assisi , let’s set the stage by focusing on his early life. Francis was born in 1182 in Assisi. He was the son of a prosperous cloth merchant, Peter Bernadone. His companions saw him as a carefree youth, calling him the “King of Revels.”

Francis enjoyed partying with his friends and had dreams of becoming a knight and gaining glory on the battlefield. But shortly after riding off to fight against Perugia, a nearby town, he ended up in their prison, a broken and disillusioned young man. It was after his return from prison, and during the recovery that followed, that Francis’ life was changed.

1) Francis Meets a Leper. Like most of his contemporaries, Francis felt a disdain for lepers and avoided them at all costs. One day, before his conversion, Francis was riding his horse alone in the countryside. As he moved along the road, he caught sight of a leper walking toward him. Francis’ instinct was to turn back or move off to the side to avoid contact with the poor wretch. But Francis instead rode directly toward this man with parts of his face and hands eaten away by this dreaded disease.

Francis dismounted his horse, and warmly embraced and kissed the leper tenderly on his lips. In his Testament, Francis writes, “When I was in sin, the sight of lepers nauseated me beyond measure; but then God himself led me into their company, and I had pity on them. When I had once become acquainted with them, what had previously nauseated me became a source of physical consolation for me. After that I did not wait long before leaving the world.” Francis eventually came to realize that he had actually embraced none other than his Lord, Jesus Christ.

Francis soon found himself living with lepers and caring for them. His meeting and embracing the leper was the best preparation Francis could have had for the founding of a new order in the Church, whose highest ideal was to serve the poorest of the poor.

Some time later, Francis was praying alone in front of a crucifix in the abandoned chapel of San Damiano, located down the hill from Assisi. Suddenly, Francis heard these words of Christ coming from the cross: “Francis, repair my house, which is falling into ruin.” Francis realized later that it was a much bigger house—the Christian Church itself—that Christ was asking him to rebuild.

2) Francis Breaks with His Father. Not long after this, Francis, dressed in rough clothing, took precious merchandise from his father’s store and sold it to his customers, in order to pay for the rebuilding of the fallen-down chapel. He also sold his father’s horse. Francis’ father, Peter, would have preferred to see Francis go back to wearing fancy attire and throwing parties for his old chums. He was aghast and embarrassed, moreover, to learn that Francis was often caring for the lepers, who were living in the valley below Assisi.

In response, his father, boiling with rage, dragged Francis before the bishop of Assisi and demanded the return of his property and goods. Francis readily agreed to this. In the hearing of all present, Francis said, “From now on I will no longer say, My Father Peter Bernadone, but Our Father who art in heaven.” Francis gave back to his father not only his property and goods, but the money and all his clothes as well. Francis carefully placed his clothing on the ground.

The bishop, admiring Francis’ fervor, drew him into his arms and covered him with his mantle. The bishop understood that Francis’ actions were inspired by God—and were part of God’s way of leading Francis into an amazingly new form of life. Francis’ heart was overflowing with joy. His heavenly Father had set him free of all attachment to earthly things.

Francis was now ready to serve the Lord simply and without fear. For all who follow St. Francis of Assisi today, this kind of poverty and detachment can lead to the freedom to, in St. Matthew’s words, become “children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. . . . So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (5:45, 48).

3) Francis, the Herald of the Great King. Francis, who used to wear fine garments, now went about clad in the poorest of clothing. As he went through a nearby woods, singing praises to the Lord in French, robbers suddenly rushed out upon him. When they asked him gruffly who he was, Francis replied confidently in a loud voice, “I am the herald of the great King!” Then they struck him again and again, and threw him into a ditch filled with deep snow, saying, “Just lie there in the snow, ‘Herald of the great King!’”

But Francis simply brushed off the snow. And when they had gone away, he jumped out of the ditch, and with great joy began to call out the praises of God in a loud voice. Francis then walked along until he came to the steps of a monastery, where he hoped the monks might clothe him in exchange for work. They did so, but Francis only stayed with them for a short while.

This whole episode seemed only to reinforce Francis’ sense of freedom and his trust in the providence of God. He would need to cultivate this spirit more and more because he would still face harsher challenges in the days ahead. True followers of St. Francis today remain conscious of their great mission: to be “Heralds of the great King.”

In St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, we find echoes of this lofty ideal: Christ Jesus “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness . . . he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him. . .” (2:7-9).

Guided by the Holy Spirit, St. Francis’ followers still strive to seek this ideal today!

4) Francis Spends a Night in Prayer. Bernard of Quintavalle was the first brother to follow Francis and his simple way of life. A wealthy Assisian, Bernard sold all his possessions and gave the money to the poor. He was ready to throw in his lot with Francis, but first he wanted to test Francis’ holiness. One evening, Bernard invited Francis to join him for supper at his home. After a pleasant meal, Bernard invited him to stay overnight.

Bernard had a bed prepared for Francis in his own room. Shortly after Francis entered the room, he threw himself down and pretended to fall asleep. A short time later, Bernard went to bed and also pretended to sleep—with snores and all. His plan was to watch Francis carefully during the night.

With Bernard secretly observing him, Francis got onto his knees and raised his hands in prayer. Then Bernard was amazed to hear Francis earnestly repeating throughout the night “My God and my all!” The Little Flowers of St. Francis informs us that St. Francis repeated the words while marveling at and contemplating the goodness of Almighty God ( Omnibus of Sources , p. 1303).

Time and again, God’s goodness and love amazed Francis. In a prayer from his Praises Before the Office, St. Francis suddenly begins repeating the word good, almost as if intoxicated by it: “All powerful, all holy, most high and supreme God, sovereign good, all good, every good, you who alone are good, it is to you we must give all praise, all glory, all thanks, all honor, all blessing; to you we must refer all good always. Amen.”

5) Clare Enters the Franciscan Family. The daughter of a noble Assisian family, Clare was known for her love of God and of the poor. She was attracted to the Gospel way of life preached by St. Francis. Secretly in the dark of night, to the dismay of her wealthy family, Clare met with Francis and his small band of brothers to commit her life totally to God. There in the Portiuncula chapel, she exchanged her golden hair for a simple habit. She would soon begin a quickly growing community of contemplative women devoted to living the Gospel.

Clare remained a close friend and associate of St. Francis, even though she was committed to staying in her monastery alongside the other Poor Clare nuns, named after their foundress. St. Clare died in 1253, outliving her great friend Francis by almost 27 years. Until her death, Clare kept her ideals: a passion for prayer, a life of poverty and humility, and a generous concern for the needy.

The close bond between the Poor Clares and the Franciscan friars remains strong and joyful in our day. The Clares serve as vibrant models of intense union with God, which all Franciscans—and indeed all human beings— are meant to foster, as the Holy Spirit prompts.

6) Francis Receives the Stigmata. Today the Chapel of the Stigmata sits on the same sheer precipice where St. Francis stood two years before his death. There he was swept up into the mystery of God’s overwhelming love for him and for humanity.

St. Bonaventure, an early Franciscan leader and theologian, in his Life of St. Francis, describes Francis as being more inflamed than usual with the love of God as he began a special time of solitary prayer on Mount La Verna in September 1224. “Francis’ unquenchable fire of love for the good Jesus,” Bonaventure writes, “was fanned into such a blaze of flames that many waters could not quench so powerful a love” (see Song of Songs 8:6-7).

St. Bonaventure goes on: “While Francis was praying on the mountainside, he saw a Seraph, with six fiery and shining wings, descend from the height of heaven. And when in swift flight the Seraph had reached a spot in the air near the man of God, there appeared between the wings the figure of a man crucified, with his hands and feet extended in the form of a cross and fastened to a cross. Two of the wings were lifted above his head, two were extended for flight and two covered his whole body.

“When Francis saw this, he was overwhelmed and his heart was flooded with a mixture of joy and sorrow. He rejoiced because of the gracious way Christ looked upon him under the appearance of a seraph, but the fact that he was fastened to a cross pierced his soul with a sword of compassionate sorrow (Luke 2:35).” When the vision disappeared, writes Bonaventure, “imprinted on his body were markings that were no less marvelous.” These markings were the stigmata—the five wounds of Christ.

What did St. Francis experience? The simple servant of God had suddenly understood in a flash the unimaginable love of God, a love that holds nothing back from us—not even God’s only son. Many religious thinkers see this as the secret of St. Francis’ spirituality, namely, Francis’ profound appreciation for the overflowing love of God!

7) The Death of St. Francis. When Francis of Assisi’s days on earth were growing short, according Thomas of Celano, his first biographer, the saint instructed his brothers, “When I am dying, lay me naked on the ground . . . and let me lie there after I am dead for the length of time it takes to walk one mile unhurriedly” ( Second Life of St. Francis of Assisi, Vol. 1, CLXIII, Omnibus of Sources ).

Francis’ brothers honored his request. They reverently placed his body on the ground and let it lie there for some 30 minutes. Not long before he took his last breath, Francis invited all creatures to praise God, as the saint had so often done in his Canticle of Brother Sun (also known as the Canticle of the Creatures). Yes, Francis wanted to exhort all his “brother” and “sister” creatures to praise and love God.

The gesture of Francis lying naked on Mother Earth strikingly reveals how comfortable Francis had become with the whole world of creation, including his human body. Like Adam before the fall, Francis was not ashamed of his nakedness. Francis had become keenly aware that Jesus, in his incarnation, had entered our world and transformed the earth (and the human form) through his saving presence among us. St. Francis had come to believe that both the earth and his body—through the incarnation of Christ—had become profoundly good.

St. Francis often said to his followers, “What a man is before God, that he is and no more.” With great humility, Francis had often applied these words to himself.

As many of us know, when Francis lay there on the earth, he was bearing on his body the stigmata—the brand marks of Christ. These sacred marks remind us how closely Francis had become identified with Christ. He was also filled with awe because of Christ’s overflowing love: As we read in John 15:13, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

Our reflections on St. Francis ’ death end with a few short passages from St. Bonaventure’s Life of St. Francis: “At last, when all of God’s mysteries were fulfilled in him,” writes Bonaventure, “the blessed man fell asleep in the Lord. One of his brothers and disciples saw his soul under the appearance of a radiant star being carried aloft in a shining cloud over many waters on a direct path into heaven.”

Finally Bonaventure describes a gathering of larks which appeared “at the hour of the holy man’s passing. . . . They came in a great flock over the roof of the house and, whirling around for a long time with unusual joy, gave clear and evident testimony of the glory of the saint, who so often invited them to praise God.”

The image of those larks is an invitation to us all.

In The Journey and the Dream , Murray Bodo tells the story of St. Francis of Assisi.

3 thoughts on “7 key moments in the life of st. francis”.

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Thank you for sharing this. I like reading articles that help me to have positive vibes. Keep on posting!

Thank you for these. First hearing these in formation for OFS, as well as other Francis stories, provided important and deeply spiritual pique to my own journey. Re-hearing them calls up all that in surprising ways, as these stories continue to teach me. OFS sister

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Who is St. Francis of Assisi?

St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian friar who lived in Italy in the 13th century. He lived a life of ascetic poverty and was dedicated to Christian charity.

St. Francis was born to a wealthy cloth merchant. In his twenties, he took part in a war and was held prisoner for nearly a year. Shortly thereafter he had several experiences that shaped his conversion, and he renounced his worldly goods and family ties to embrace a life of poverty. 

St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Roman Catholic history. He founded the  Franciscan orders , including the Poor Clares and the lay Third Order. He and  St. Catherine of Siena  are the  patron saints  of Italy, and he is also the patron saint of  ecology and of animals. 

St. Francis of Assisi (born 1181/82, Assisi, duchy of Spoleto [Italy]—died October 3, 1226, Assisi; canonized July 16, 1228; feast day October 4) was the founder of the Franciscan orders of the Friars Minor (Ordo Fratrum Minorum), the women’s Order of St. Clare (the Poor Clares ), and the lay Third Order. He was also a leader of the movement of evangelical poverty in the early 13th century. His evangelical zeal, consecration to poverty, charity , and personal charisma drew thousands of followers. Francis’s devotion to the human Jesus and his desire to follow Jesus’ example reflected and reinforced important developments in medieval spirituality. The Poverello (“Poor Little Man”) is one of the most venerated religious figures in Roman Catholic history, and he and St. Catherine of Siena are the patron saints of Italy . In 1979 Pope John Paul II recognized him as the patron saint of ecology .

Francis was the son of Pietro di Bernardone, a cloth merchant, and the lady Pica, who may have come from France . At Francis’s birth, his father was away on a business trip to France, and his mother had him baptized Giovanni. On his return, however, Pietro changed the infant’s name to Francesco because of either his interest in France or his wife’s background. Francis learned to read and write Latin at the school near the church of San Giorgio, acquired some knowledge of French language and literature, and was especially fond of the Provenƈal culture of the troubadours . He liked to speak French (although he never did so perfectly) and even attempted to sing in the language. His youth was most likely without serious moral lapses, and his exuberant love of life and a general spirit of worldliness made him a recognized leader of the young men of the town.

In 1202 he took part in a war between Assisi and Perugia , was held prisoner for almost a year, and on his release fell seriously ill. After his recovery, he attempted to join the papal forces under Count Gentile against the emperor Frederick II in Apulia in late 1205. On his journey, however, he had a vision or dream that bade him return to Assisi and await the call to a new kind of knighthood . On his return, he dedicated himself to solitude and prayer so that he might know God’s will for him.

Several other episodes contributed to his conversion to the apostolic life: a vision of Christ while Francis prayed in a grotto near Assisi; an experience of poverty during a pilgrimage to Rome , where, in rags, he mingled with the beggars before St. Peter’s Basilica and begged alms; an incident in which he not only gave alms to a leper (he had always felt a deep repugnance for lepers) but also kissed his hand. Among such episodes, the most important, according to his disciple and first biographer, Thomas of Celano, occurred at the ruined chapel of San Damiano outside the gate of Assisi when Francis heard the crucifix above the altar command him: “Go, Francis, and repair my house which, as you see, is well-nigh in ruins.” Taking this literally, Francis hurried home, gathered some fine cloth from his father’s shop, and rode off to the nearby town of Foligno , where he sold both cloth and horse. He then tried to give the money to the priest at San Damiano, whose refusal prompted Francis to throw the money out the window. Angered, his father kept him at home and then brought him before the civil authorities. When Francis refused to answer the summons , his father called him before the bishop of Assisi. Before any accusations were made, Francis “without a word peeled off his garments even removing his breeches and restored them to his father.” Completely naked, he said: “Until now I have called you my father on earth. But henceforth I can truly say: Our Father who art in heaven.” The astonished bishop gave him a cloak, and Francis went off to the woods of Mount Subasio above the city.

Francis renounced worldly goods and family ties to embrace a life of poverty. He repaired the church of San Damiano, refurbished a chapel dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle , and then restored the now-famous little chapel of St. Mary of the Angels ( Santa Maria degli Angeli ), the Porziuncola, on the plain below Assisi. There, on the feast of St. Matthias, February 24, 1208, he listened at mass to the account of the mission of Christ to the Apostles from the Gospel According to Matthew (10:7, 9–11): “And as you go, preach the message, ‘The kingdom is at hand!’…Take no gold, nor silver, nor money in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff; for the labourer deserves his food. And whatever town or villa you enter, find out who is worthy in it, and stay with him until you depart.” According to Thomas of Celano, this was the decisive moment for Francis, who declared, “This is what I wish; this is what I am seeking. This is what I want to do from the bottom of my heart.” He then removed his shoes, discarded his staff, put on a rough tunic, and began to preach repentance.

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The Pope : the life of Pope Francis, the Holy Father

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Pope Francis: The Story of the Holy Father Hardcover – October 18, 2016

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• Print length 144 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Black Dog & Leventhal
• Publication date October 18, 2016
• Dimensions 10.5 x 2.25 x 12.25 inches
• ISBN-10 0316317756
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Black Dog & Leventhal; Slp edition (October 18, 2016)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 144 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316317756
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316317757
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.51 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.5 x 2.25 x 12.25 inches
• #2,023 in Christian Popes
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• #6,345 in Presidents & Heads of State Biographies

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The Holy Father:

Home / Diocese / The Holy Father: Pope Francis

Biography of the Holy Father Francis

The first Pope of the Americas Jorge Mario Bergoglio hails from Argentina. The 76-year-old Jesuit Archbishop of Buenos Aires is a prominent figure throughout the continent, yet remains a simple pastor who is deeply loved by his diocese, throughout which he has travelled extensively on the underground and by bus during the 15 years of his episcopal ministry.

“My people are poor and I am one of them”, he has said more than once, explaining his decision to live in an apartment and cook his own supper. He has always advised his priests to show mercy and apostolic courage and to keep their doors open to everyone. The worst thing that could happen to the Church, he has said on various occasions, “is what de Lubac called spiritual worldliness”, which means, “being self-centred”. And when he speaks of social justice, he calls people first of all to pick up the Catechism , to rediscover the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. His project is simple: if you follow Christ, you understand that “trampling upon a person’s dignity is a serious sin”.

Despite his reserved character — his official biography consists of only a few lines, at least until his appointment as Archbishop of Buenos Aires — he became a reference point because of the strong stances he took during the dramatic financial crisis that overwhelmed the country in 2001.

He was born in Buenos Aires on 17 December 1936, the son of Italian immigrants. His father Mario was an accountant employed by the railways and his mother Regina Sivori was a committed wife dedicated to raising their five children. He graduated as a chemical technician and then chose the path of the priesthood, entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto. On 11 March 1958 he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. He completed his studies of the humanities in Chile and returned to Argentina in 1963 to graduate with a degree in philosophy from the Colegio de San José in San Miguel. From 1964 to 1965 he taught literature and psychology at Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fé and in 1966 he taught the same subject at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires. From 1967-70 he studied theology and obtained a degree from the Colegio of San José.

On 13 December 1969 he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano. He continued his training between 1970 and 1971 at the University of Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and on 22 April 1973 made his final profession with the Jesuits. Back in Argentina, he was novice master at Villa Barilari, San Miguel; professor at the Faculty of Theology of San Miguel; consultor to the Province of the Society of Jesus and also Rector of the Colegio Máximo of the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology.

On 31 July 1973 he was appointed Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina, an office he held for six years. He then resumed his work in the university sector and from 1980 to 1986 served once again as Rector of the Colegio de San José, as well as parish priest, again in San Miguel. In March 1986 he went to Germany to finish his doctoral thesis; his superiors then sent him to the Colegio del Salvador in Buenos Aires and next to the Jesuit Church in the city of Córdoba as spiritual director and confessor.

It was Cardinal Antonio Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, who wanted him as a close collaborator. So, on 20 May 1992 Pope John Paul II appointed him titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires. On 27 May he received episcopal ordination from the Cardinal in the cathedral. He chose as his episcopal motto, miserando atque eligendo , and on his coat of arms inserted the ihs, the symbol of the Society of Jesus.

He gave his first interview as a bishop to a parish newsletter, Estrellita de Belém . He was immediately appointed Episcopal Vicar of the Flores district and on 21 December 1993 was also entrusted with the office of Vicar General of the Archdiocese. Thus it came as no surprise when, on 3 June 1997, he was raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Not even nine months had passed when, upon the death of Cardinal Quarracino, he succeeded him on 28 February 1998, as Archbishop, Primate of Argentina and Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who have no Ordinary of their own rite.

Three years later at the Consistory of 21 February 2001, John Paul ii created him Cardinal, assigning him the title of San Roberto Bellarmino. He asked the faithful not to come to Rome to celebrate his creation as Cardinal but rather to donate to the poor what they would have spent on the journey. As Grand Chancellor of the Catholic University of Argentina, he is the author of the books: Meditaciones para religiosos (1982), Reflexiones sobre la vida apostólica (1992) and Reflexiones de esperanza (1992).

In October 2001 he was appointed General Relator to the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Episcopal Ministry. This task was entrusted to him at the last minute to replace Cardinal Edward Michael Egan, Archbishop of New York, who was obliged to stay in his homeland because of the terrorist attacks on September 11th. At the Synod he placed particular emphasis on “the prophetic mission of the bishop”, his being a “prophet of justice”, his duty to “preach ceaselessly” the social doctrine of the Church and also “to express an authentic judgement in matters of faith and morals”.

All the while Cardinal Bergoglio was becoming ever more popular in Latin America. Despite this, he never relaxed his sober approach or his strict lifestyle, which some have defined as almost “ascetic”. In this spirit of poverty, he declined to be appointed as President of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference in 2002, but three years later he was elected and then, in 2008, reconfirmed for a further three-year mandate. Meanwhile in April 2005 he took part in the Conclave in which Pope Benedict XVI was elected.

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires — a diocese with more than three million inhabitants — he conceived of a missionary project based on communion and evangelization. He had four main goals: open and brotherly communities, an informed laity playing a lead role, evangelization efforts addressed to every inhabitant of the city, and assistance to the poor and the sick. He aimed to reevangelize Buenos Aires, “taking into account those who live there, its structure and its history”. He asked priests and lay people to work together. In September 2009 he launched the solidarity campaign for the bicentenary of the Independence of the country. Two hundred charitable agencies are to be set up by 2016. And on a continental scale, he expected much from the impact of the message of the Aparecida Conference in 2007, to the point of describing it as the “ Evangelii Nuntiandi of Latin America”.

Until the beginning of the recent sede vacante , he was a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Congregation for the Clergy, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

He was elected Supreme Pontiff on 13 March 2013.

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Singapore welcomes Pope Francis on final stage of 45th Apostolic Journey

By Claudia Torres – Singapore

Pope Francis has begun the fourth and final leg of his 12-day Apostolic Journey in Asia and Oceania – the longest of his pontificate so far – which has taken him to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.

Now it’s time for the Southeast Asian city-state of Singapore to welcome the Holy Father, who arrived at Changi Airport at 14.52 local time on Wednesday, 11 September.

There was a palpable sense of excitement among Singapore’s residents, young and old, who were making final preparations for the Holy Father’s arrival.

A flurry of activity greeted our team at the Junior Catholic College, where young people were rehearsing for Pope Francis’ interreligious meeting with them, scheduled for Friday.

Sister Theresa Seow Lee Huang, FDCC, the vice chairperson of the Archdiocese and Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and the vice chairperson of the event for interreligious youth, shared her hope that Pope Francis’ visit will be a source of renewal for interreligious dialogue in Singapore.

“We hope that with the visit, and bringing all the young people from the different religions together, even after the Holy Father has left, it begins a momentum really to pull the young people to work for harmony and peace,” said the Canossian sister.

She also noted that the number of religious vocations in the Southeast Asian country is low. “Many of the religious are facing also a drop in the number of young people joining the religious life,” she explained, adding, “I think when it comes to permanent commitment, this is something that not many are prepared to step up to.”

In the Lion City (as Singapore is often called), Christians make up about 18 percent of the population, and Catholics only 3.5 percent (about 176,000 people). Buddhists are the largest group, accounting for about 33 percent of the more than 5 million inhabitants, while Muslims make up about 15 percent; Taoists 11 percent; Hindus 5 percent; and non-religious about 17 percent.

The population is about 74 percent Chinese, 13.5 percent Malay, and 9 percent Indian.

The multi-religious and multi-cultural character of this city-state is due in part to its strategic location where major East and West shipping lanes converge.

Its location is also the reason behind its notable economic development, which has made the city-state a bustling financial hub and a destination for migrants looking for better job opportunities than those their home countries can provide.

In fact, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, as of December 2023, foreign workers make up about 38 percent of the labour force. That’s 1.52 million people, from Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.

Jacob Soo, Executive Director of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (ACMI), explained, “While there’s recognition of the economic benefits and the cultural diversity that migrants bring, there are also concerns about job competition, integration and social cohesion.”

That’s why he sees the Holy Father’s visit to Singapore as a positive occasion. “Pope Francis’ visit will be a powerful reminder that God walks with us, especially with the most vulnerable, and identifies himself with them.” He hopes it will be an opportunity to “to promote unity, inclusivity, empathy, compassion and give hope to the people.”

Another big challenge in Singapore is its ageing population. Victor Seng, Executive Director of St. Therea’s Home for the elderly – which the Pope will visit on Friday – explained that many families are not able to look after their elderly, so they take them to nursing homes like St. Theresa’s.

He expects that due to the low birthrate – partly the result of high costs of raising children in Singapore – in three- or four-years’ time, about 60 or 70 percent of the population will be above the age of 60. But the residents, Catholic and non-Catholic, are all very excited to welcome their guest from Rome. “We are actually very happy, honored and privileged to have Pope Francis visiting Saint Theresa’s home,” assured Mr Seng.

“I think he will make us very, very happy, coming to visit us,” said Bridget Ng, a resident at the home.

Other key issues in Singapore include housing needs and ever less sufficient public welfare.

Despite these wide-ranging challenges, Pope Francis is sure to find a dynamic and lively Church throughout his visit, during which he is scheduled to deliver two public addresses: one during his meeting with authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps, on Thursday, and the other during an interreligious meeting with young people, on Friday.

Upon his arrival, the Pope holds a private meeting with members of the Society of Jesus present in the country, at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Center where he will be hosted for the duration of his stay.

On Thursday, the Holy Father will pay a courtesy visit to the president, the prime minister, and the former prime minister. In the afternoon, he will preside over Holy Mass at Singapore National Stadium.

On Friday, 13 September, before meeting with the elderly at St. Theresa’s, he will have a private meeting with the bishop, priests and consecrated men and women at the St. Francis Xavier Retreat Center.

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