Pope Francis: Bio, Family, Children, Facts About Life That You Probably don’t know

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Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Pope Francis) was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church in March 2013, becoming Pope Francis. He is the first pope from the Americas. Pope Francis recently visited an elderly nun at the Daughters of Charity’s house in Rome on Sunday, a gesture of kindness for her years of service at the Casa Santa Marta. We all Knew Pope Francis is good, but why is this man is so contagious? Is it his genuineness? His beautiful selfless acts of compassion (like kissing the feet of Aid victims and allowing the children to come near him)? Is it his humor? It could be all of this and more. The truth however stands the Pope Francis is one of the most interesting individuals on the face of our world today.

Pope Francis Biograghy:

Calling Name: Pope Francis
Age: 82
Date of Birth: 17 December 1936
Place of Birth: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Real Name: Jorge Mario Bergoglio
Parents: Mario José Bergoglio and Regina María Sívori
Residence: Domus Sanctae Marthae
Papacy started: 13 March 2013
Diocese: Rome
Predecessor: Benedict XVI
Nationality: Argentine (with Vatican citizenship)

Education: Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy (1980–1980)

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.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina’s provincial superior of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He is the first Spanish-speaking pope, the first Jesuit to be Pontiff, and the first to choose the name of the saint of Assisi and the great evangelizer of the Society of Jesus, St. Francis Xavier.

He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina. The administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Talking about Pope Francis networth, the choice of that name fits the character of the new pontiff well, whose modesty and humility were already evident in his time as archbishop and cardinal, in which he resigned his official car and his palace residence to live in a small apartment where he prepared his meals himself.

Jorge Bergoglio was always a simple man, low-profile but energetic in preaching, a passionate defender of life, lover of music and literature, and as any good Argentinean, football and tango.

Here Are Some Interesting Facts About Pope Francs Public Life

1. He spoke out against frivolous spending by the Church

Pope-francis-i-angelus-and-blessing-from-the-window-overlooking-st-peter-s-square

The average set of cardinal’s clothes costs as much as $20,000. In October, Pope Francis urged officials to dress more modestly and to not squander such money. In the same month, he ordered a German bishop to explain how he had spent $3 million on a marble courtyard.

2. He invited a boy with Downs Syndrome for a ride in the Popemobile

Pope francis invited alberto di tullio

During a general audience, Pope Francis invited Alberto di Tullio, a 17-year-old boy with Downs Syndrome, to ride in his Popemobile while thousands watched. The boy and his father were said to be “chocked up” when he was embraced by the Pope.

3. He embraced and kissed Vinicio Riva

Pope francis' GENERAL AUDIENCE

November saw Pope Francis embrace Vinicio Riva, a man scarred by a genetic disease. Fighting agonising pain on a daily basis, such an act restored the faith of a man who says he is often mocked in public.

4. He denounced the judgment of homosexuals

Pope francis on homosexuals

Pope Francis has stated several times that the Church has no right to interfere spiritually in the lives of gays and lesbians. Though Francis maintained the right of the Church to express opinions on homosexuality, he believed that Christians should not judge or ridicule. This led to The Advocate, a gay  rights magazine, naming Francis the ‘single most influential person of 2013 on the lives of LGBT people’.

5. He held a major ceremony at the chapel of a youth prison

Pope francis at the chapel of a youth prison

In March, the Pope held a major Holy Week service at Casal del Marmo jail for minors, rather than the Vatican. During the service, the pope washed and kissed the feet of 12 young offenders to commemorate Jesus’ gesture of humility towards his apostles on the night before he died. During the service, he broke tradition by washing the feet of women and Muslims.

6. He urged the protection of the Amazon Rain-forest

Pope francis on amazon rainforest

During his visit to Brazil, Pope Francis met with natives who have been fighting ranchers and farmers attempting to invade their land. He encouraged that the Amazon be treated as a garden and protected, along with it’s native people.

7. He personally called and consoled a victim of rape

Pope francis on victim of rape

A 44-year old Argentinian woman, raped by a local policeman, was one of thousands to write a letter to Pope Francis in 2013. The woman was surprised when she later received a phone call from Francis himself–who consoled the woman and told her, “You are not alone.”

8. He snuck out of the Vatican to feed the homeless

Pope francis snuck out of the vatican to feed the homeless

More recently, it has been discovered that Pope Francis regularly leaves the Vatican at night to feed the homeless. Dressed as an ordinary priest, he joins Archbishop Konrad Krajewski to feed the poor of Rome.

9. He auctioned his motorcycle to benefit the homeless

Pope francis auctioned his motorcycle to benefit the homeless

In October, Francis donated his own Harley Davidson motorcycle to fund a hostel and soup kitchen in Rome.

10. He acknowledged that atheists can be good people

Pope francis acknowledged that atheists can be good people

Earlier in 2013,  Pope Francis spoke out against the common interpretation within the Church that atheists, by nature, are bad people. He stated that, “Atheists should be seen as good people if they do good.” After meeting the Pope, the openly atheist president of Uruguay, Jose Mujica, compared Francis to a friendly neighbor.

11. He condemned the global financial system

Pope francis condemned the global financial system

In May, Francis denounced the global financial system for tyrannizing the poor and turning humans into expendable consumer goods. He believes that, “Money has to serve, not to rule!”

12. He fought child abuse

Pope francis fought child abuse

The Catholic Church has been rocked in recent years by allegations and admissions of child abuse by members of the Church. Pope Francis became the first Pope to take effective action against such atrocities. He ammended Vatican law to make sexual abuse of children a crime, and he also established a committee to fight abuse.

13. He condemned the violence of the Syrian civil war

Pope francis condemned the violence of the syrian civil war

In regard to the use of chemical weapons in Syria, Pope Francis asked for peace and declared that, “War, never again. Violence never leads to peace, war leads to war, violence leads to violence.”

14. He redirected employee bonuses to charity

Pope francis redirected employee bonuses to charity

When a new Pope is elected, Vatican employees receive a bonus. Upon his election, the extra money was given to directly to charity instead.

15. He spoke out against the Church’s ‘obsession’ with abortion, gay marriage and contraception

Pope francis on abortion, gay marriage and contraception

In a voice of reason, Francis shocked the Catholic world when he stated that the Church was an unhealthy obsession with abortion, gay marriage, and contraception. He criticized the Church for putting dogma before love, and for prioritizing moral doctrines over serving the poor and marginalized.

16. He called for cooperation between Christians and Muslims

Pope francis christians and muslims

During his Angelus address, Francis paid respect to the end of Ramadan. He stated that both Christians and Muslims worship the same God, and he hoped that Christians and Muslims would work together to promote mutual respect.

17. He took part in a selfie

Pope francis took part in a selfie

In what might be his most progressive feat of all, Pope Francis met with youngsters to be part of a truly remarkable selfie. His is embracing the present, and he is undoubtedly taking the Church to a more loving and accepting future.

18. He invited homeless men to his birthday meal

Pope francis invited homeless men to his birthday meal

On December 17, Pope Francis invited a group of homeless men and their dog into the Vatican to share his birthday meal along with his staff. The Pope had decided that he wanted a small birthday event, which would do some good, rather than a large and expensive event.

19. He refused to send away a child who had run on stage to hug him

Pope francis refused to send away a child who had run on stage to hug him

During the Year of Faith Celebrations, a young boy ran on stage as the Pope was giving a speech. When assistants tried to remove the boy, Francis allowed him to stay.

Concluding about his life works, throughout his entire public life, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, kindness, emphasis on God’s mercy, international visibility as Pope, concern for the poor and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He is credited with having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes.

He make sure that the Church should be more open and welcoming. He does not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintains the traditional views of the Church regarding abortion, marriage, ordination of women, and clerical celibacy. He opposes consumerism and overdevelopment, and supports taking action on climate change, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si’. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and supported the cause of refugees during the European migrant crisis. Since 2016, Francis has faced increasingly open criticism, particularly from theological conservatives, on the question of admitting civilly divorced and remarried Catholics to Communion with the publication of Amoris laetitia and on the question of the alleged cover-up of clergy sexual abuse.

Connect With Pope Francis:

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