Pope Francis I or Jose Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, the 266th
Pope of the Roman Catholic Church
Photo Courtesy by The Guardian UK
Shouts, cheers and cries enveloped the Vatican and the World as the new Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis I, went out of the red curtain and raises his hand as if blessing and thanking everybody for their warm welcome. After the controversial Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, everybody is expecting so much from the newly elected Pope. But before everything else, let's first have a quick run through as to who is Pope Francis I.
Birth Name: Jose Mario BergoglioBirthplace: Buenas Aires, Argentina
Nationality: ArgentineBirthday: December 17, 1936Age: 76 years old
Father's Name: Mario José Bergoglio
Father's Occupation: Railway worker
Mother's Name: Regina María Sívori
Mother's Occupation: HousewifeOrdination: December 13, 1969 by Archbishop Emeritus Ramon Jose CastellanoConsecration: June 27, 1992 by Former Archbishop of Buenas Aires Antonio QuarracinoBecame Cardinal: February 21, 2001
Other Facts about Pope Francis:
- Aside from being a servant of God, he is also a trained chemist and graduated as a Chemical Engineer. He had also taught literature, philosophy, psychology and theology.
- He made to sit as an Archbishop of Buenas Aires from being an ordinary priest in a convent in just a matter of 6 years.
- He was the main opponent and made just 2nd to Joseph Ratzinger or Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for being a Pope in the last April 2005 conclave to succeed the late Pope John Paul II.
- He is the first Pope to be named as Francis.
- He is a shy-type of person.
- He is the first Jesuit and the first Latin American and the first Pope in 1000 years outside Europe .
- He is quoted by many as a "pro-poor" priest. He is also known to have a strong advocacy for the poor.
- His being a Jesuit and his association to liberation theology, a movement disregarded and frowned by the Vatican, made him different from his contenders.
- He is encouraging the clergy and the faithful to oppose abortion and euthanasia.
- He supports the use of contraceptives to prevent the spread of diseases.
- He has also supported equal, fair and respectful treatment of homosexuals.
- He is oppose to the legalization gay marriage in Argentina, arguing that every child has the right to be raised by a father and a mother.
- He lives in a small apartment and rejects a chauffer-driven car, he just travel by bus or any public transport. He personally cooks for his meals.
- He urges the people of Argentina not to waste their money on plane tickets to Vatican just to see him, instead they should give it to the poor and to the needy.
Source:Al Jazeera- English
BBCCatholic HeraldCNN
Guardian- United Kingdom
Rome ReportsUnited Press InternationalWikipedia