Pope Francis
Head of the Catholic Church
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, led the Catholic Church from 2013 until his death in 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas.
2 summaries 34 min of listening
Argentinian Born 1936 in Flores, Argentina Died 2025
About Pope Francis
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later Pope Francis, was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires into a family with Italian roots. He joined the Jesuits in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1969. From 1973 to 1979 he served as the Jesuit provincial superior in Argentina, became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, and was made a cardinal in 2001. After Pope Benedict XVI resigned, Bergoglio was elected pope on 13 March 2013 and chose the name Francis to honor Francis of Assisi. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. He was known for his humility, his stress on God's mercy and his concern for the poor. He died on 21 April 2025. His books in the BookBits catalog include The Name of God is Mercy and Hope.