He is one of the
most popular and controversial popes in history, often breaking with
conservative Catholic church traditions in his words and actions. Here are
15 things you didn’t know about Pope Francis.
1. His family left Italy to escape
Mussolini’s regime
Francis’s father, Mario José Bergoglio, and his family left Italy in 1929 to
escape the fascist regime of Mussolini. Despite rumors that this may have been
for economic reasons, Francis’s sister, María Elena, has emphatically denied
that.
2. He once worked as a nightclub bouncer
Francis had a multitude of jobs growing up – one of which was as a bouncer
at a bar in Buenos Aires. He also spent time working as a janitor and as
a chemical technician.
3. Francis had life-threatening pneumonia
At the age of 21, Francis suffered from a severe case of pneumonia, as well
as three cysts. He had to have part of one lung excised in the course of his
treatment. Since he became pope, doctors have reassured the public
that the missing lung tissue does not have a significant impact on his health.
4. He is a fan of the tango
Francis is known for his love of music, and has always shown a fondness for
traditional Argentinian and Uruguayan music known as “milonga” – music that is
perfect for tango dancing.
5. He once doubted his path in religion
While studying at the Inmaculada Concepción Seminary in Villa Devoto, Buenos
Aires, Pope Francis confessed to a crush on a girl he met at an uncle’s
wedding. The crush made him doubt his path in religion, but he decided to stick
to it.
6. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope
After finishing his studies, Francis entered the Society of Jesus as a
novice on March 11, 1958. More commonly known as the Jesuits, the Society of
Jesus is a society within the Roman Catholic Church that was founded by
Ignatius of Loyola and instituted by Pope Paul III. The Jesuit society demands
four vows of its members: chastity, poverty, obedience to Christ, and obedience
to the Pope. He officially became a Jesuit on March 12, 1960 and was ordained
to the priesthood nine years later.
7. He is also many other firsts
Along with being the first Jesuit pope, Pope Francis is also the first pope
from the Americas, the first from the southern hemisphere, and the first
non-European pope since the year 741, when Pope Gregory III from Syria
became Pope.
8. Despite his liberal tendencies, he
remains a vocal opponent of abortion
Though Francis has made many overtures considered shockingly liberal for the
Catholic Church, he continues to oppose abortion on all levels. In September
2013, he said, “Every child that isn’t born, but is unjustly condemned to be
aborted, has the face of Jesus Christ, has the face of the Lord.”
9. He chose his name after Saint Francis of
Assisi
Shortly after his election and first papal audience, the new pope announced
his decision to be the first pope to take the name Francis, after Saint Francis
of Assisi. He admired the Saint’s commitment to the poor, saying, “He brought
to Christianity an idea of poverty against the luxury, pride, vanity of the
civil and ecclesiastical powers of the time. He changed history.”
10. He has chosen to live in the Vatican
guest house
Rather than stay in the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace that all
former popes in recent history have resided in, Pope Francis decided to
live in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse at the Vatican. He lives in a
suite where he can receive visitors and hold meetings, though he still
appears in the window of the palace for Sunday Angelus.
11. Francis abolished bonuses to Vatican
employees upon the election of a new pope
Keeping in his commitment to shrinking the lavish luxuries of the papacy,
Pope Francis abolished the bonuses paid to Vatican employees each time a new
pope is elected. The money, amounting to several million Euros, was instead
donated to charity.
12. He has compared sex abuse to satanic
acts
Upon assuming the papacy, Pope Francis announced zero tolerance for sex
abuse in the Catholic Church. He placed several bishops under investigation for
child abuse, or for aiding cover-ups of sexual abuse, and met with groups of
sex-abuse victims at the Vatican. Francis made his position clear, saying sex
abuse is “as bad as performing a satanic mass.”
13. Pope Francis is incredibly multilingual
In addition to being fluent in Spanish, his native language in Argentina,
Francis is also fluent in Latin and Italian. Furthermore, he understands and
speaks some Genoese, German, French, Portuguese, English, Ukrainian, and some
of the Piedmontese dialect.
14. Francis helped negotiate the economic
détente between the United States and Cuba
Pope Francis was integral in the negotiation between the United States and
Cuba to reestablish diplomatic relations. He wrote letters to the presidents of
both countries, and even hosted American and Cuban delegations at the Vatican
to facilitate dialog. The pope’s direct appeal was uncommon for his position,
but very effective.
15. His official title is over 40 words
Though it is rarely used, the official title of Pope Francis is as follows:
His Holiness Francis, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the
Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of
Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the
Vatican City State, Servant of the servants of God.
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