{"id":467331,"date":"2025-04-21T08:23:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T12:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.net\/en\/uncategorized\/biography-of-pope-francis-first-american-pontiff-and-reformer-of-the-catholic-church\/"},"modified":"2025-04-21T08:23:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T12:23:37","slug":"biography-of-pope-francis-first-american-pontiff-and-reformer-of-the-catholic-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deultimominuto.com\/en\/history\/biographies\/biography-of-pope-francis-first-american-pontiff-and-reformer-of-the-catholic-church\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography of Pope Francis: First American pontiff and reformer of the Catholic Church"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jorge Mario Bergoglio<\/strong> (Buenos Aires, December 17, 1936 \u2013 Vatican City, April 21, 2025), known as Pope Francis<\/strong>, was the 266th pontiff of the Catholic Church. His election in 2013 marked a milestone: he was the first pope from America, the first Jesuit, the first non-European in over 1,200 years, and the first to adopt the name Francis<\/strong>, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early life and religious vocation of Jorge Mario Bergoglio<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Son of Italian immigrants, he grew up in a Catholic family in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Flores. He graduated as a chemical technician before entering the seminary. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1958, and trained in Chile and Argentina. He was ordained a priest on December 13, 1969. During the Argentine dictatorship, he intervened to save political persecutees and denounced the abuses of the military regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jorge Mario Bergoglio<\/strong> as Bishop, Archbishop, and Cardinal<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

He was consecrated as auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992, and in 1998 he assumed as archbishop and primate of Argentina. In 2001 he was created a cardinal by John Paul II. He presided over the Argentine Episcopal Conference and stood out for his humility, austere life and closeness to the poor, earning him the nickname “the bishop of the poor”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclave of 2013 and Election as Pope<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Following the resignation of Benedict XVI, he was elected pope on March 13, 2013. When he appeared before the faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he asked for prayers for him and showed an approachable and humble style. He was the first pope to use the name Francis, expressing his desire for a poor Church and for the poor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Titles and treatments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"El
El papa Francisco junto al presidente Luis Abinader<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His official title was: His Holiness Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the servants of God<\/em>. In 2024 he restored the title of Patriarch of the West<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beginnings of the pontificate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

His pontificate formally began on March 19, 2013, in a ceremony attended by delegations from over 130 countries. From his first days he marked differences: he rejected luxurious ornaments, used a silver cross and common black shoes. He asked Argentinians not to travel to Rome, but to help the poor in their country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principales reformas y gestos pastorales<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Francisco led profound reforms in the Roman Curia, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n