PopeFrancis

Biography

Born December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Birth name Jorge Mario Bergoglio. A Jesuit priest who became the 266th pope on March 13, 2013—the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit to hold the office. Chose the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Papal motto: Miserando atque eligendo.

Education and ordination: Joined the Society of Jesus in 1958, ordained a priest on December 13, 1969. Served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires from 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.

News Highlights

• 2013: Elected pope, becoming the first Jesuit and the first pope from the Americas.
• 2015: Issued Laudato Si'', an encyclical focused on care for the environment and the common good.
• 2016: Issued Amoris Laetitia, addressing family life and pastoral care.
• 2019–2020: Promoted attention to the Amazon region and broader ecological and social concerns; issued Querida Amazonia and Patris corde.
• 2020: Fratelli Tutti, an encyclical on fraternity and social friendship; Let Us Dream (co-authored with Austen Ivereigh) published in 2020.
• 2021: Underwent abdominal surgery for diverticular stenosis; recovery announced by the Vatican.
• 2022–2024: Advanced reforms of the Roman Curia through Praedicate evangelium and continued global pastoral outreach, emphasizing mercy, dialogue, and care for the vulnerable.

Social Media Details

• Twitter/X: Official global account @Pontifex; language-specific feeds include @Pontifex_es (Spanish) and @Pontifex_it (Italian).
• Facebook: Official Pontifex page managed by the Vatican and partners.
• Instagram: Official presence maintained by the Holy See with language-specific handles; the pope’s activity is typically shared via @pontifex and related channels.

Notable Works & Initiatives

• Encyclicals and major writings: Evangelii Gaudium (2013), Laudato Si'' (2015), Fratelli Tutti (2020), Querida Amazonia (2019).
• Apostolic exhortations/letters: Amoris Laetitia (2016), Patris corde (2020).
• Organizational and governance updates: Praedicate evangelium (2022) reorganizing the Roman Curia to emphasis mission and service.
• Authorship and outreach: Let Us Dream: The Path to a Better Future (2020, with Austen Ivereigh).
• Global pastoral initiatives: Advocacy for mercy, dialogue, refugees, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion; ongoing promotion of the Synod on Synodality as a process for church-wide participation.