Born in Buenos Aires of Italian descent, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technician before entering seminary. He was ordained as a priest in 1969. Then from 1973 to 1979 he was Argentina's Provincial superior of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuit order. In 1998, Bergoglio became Archbishop of Buenos Aires and was ascended to cardinal in 2001.
Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, in March of 2013 the papal conclave elected Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Bergoglio is the first Jesuit pope; the first pope from the Americas, and the first pope from the Southern Hemisphere.
Throughout his life, both as an individual and a religious leader, he has been known for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. Since his election to the papacy, he has displayed a simpler and less formal approach to the office, including a decision to reside in the Vatican guesthouse rather than the papal residence used by his predecessors since 1903.
VOCABULARY
- sovereign - one that exercises supreme, permanent authority, especially in a nation or other governmental unit
- descent - hereditary derivation; lineage:
- ordained - to invest with ministerial or priestly authority; confer holy orders on.
- humility - the quality or condition of being humble.
- predecessor - one who precedes another in time, especially in holding an office or position.
