Introducing Pope Francis I
On March 13, 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope, the first ever from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium.
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What's in a name?
Jorge Bergoglio is the first pontiff from Latin America and the first pontiff to adopt the name of Francis, the rich young man from Assisi who renounced wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars in 1290. The choice could foretell the pope's priorities in striving to bring a sense of serenity to the troubled church. St. Francis is said to have been called by God to repair a church in ruins. Choosing the name of one of Italy's patron saints also ties the new pope to Italy, the homeland of all popes of the last few centuries until 1978.
This Feb. 14, 2013 photo shows Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio leading a mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Credit: AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko
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