Menu

Pope Francis Age, Wife, Biography, Facts & More

Pope Francis

Bio
Real NameJorge Mario Bergoglio
NicknameNot Known
ProfessionPope of the Roman Catholic Church
Ordination13 December 1969
Consecration27 June 1992
Career• On December 1969, Bergoglio was ordained as a priest.
• In 1973, Bergoglio began serving as Jesuit provincial of Argentina.
• On May 20, 1992, Bergoglio was named the bishop of Auca and auxiliary of Buenos Aires.
• In 2001, he was elevated to cardinal by Pope John Paul II.
• In 2005, he was named the president of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina, serving in that position until 2011.
• On March 13, 2013, Bergoglio was named the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church—becoming the first citizen from the Americas, the first non-European and first Jesuit priest to be named pope, and adopting the name Pope Francis (he took the title after St. Francis of Assisi of Italy).
Physical Stats & More
Heightin centimeters- 170 cm
in meters- 1.70 m
in Feet Inches- 5' 7”
Weight (approx.)in Kilograms- 72 kg
in Pounds- 158 lbs
Eye ColourDark Gray
Hair ColourWhite (Semi-Bald)
Personal Life
Date of Birth17 December 1936
Age (as in 2016)80 Years
Birth PlaceFlores, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Zodiac sign/Sun signSagittarius
NationalityArgentine (with Vatican citizenship)
HometownFlores, Buenos Aires, Argentina
ResidenceApostolic Palace, Vatican City
SchoolWilfrid Barón de los Santos Ángeles, Ramos Mejía, Buenos Aires
Technical Secondary School
CollegeTechnical Secondary School
Educational QualificationsDiploma in Chemical Technology
Debut1960 (enter in Jesuit)
FamilyFather- Mario Jose Bergoglio
Mother- Regina Maria Sivori
Regina Maria Sivori and Mario Jose Bergoglio
Brothers- Oscar Adrian Bergoglio, Alberto Bergoglio
Sisters- María Elena Bergoglio, Marta Regina Bergoglio
Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, second from left in back row, poses for a picture with his family
ReligionRoman Catholicism
HobbiesWatching Soccer and Tango Dance, Reading and Listening to Music
Controversies• Some conservatives have drawn flak to his "simultaneously combative" and "charming" administrative style which they assert the pontiff has "wielded" against conservative opponents."
• Pope has always criticized Donald Trump. Supporters of Donald Trump always hit out at him.
• In 2015, Pope Francis was criticized for backing Chilean bishop Juan Barros, who was accused of covering up sex crimes against minors.
• In February 2017, posters appeared in Rome featuring a stern-looking Pope Francis, complaining about Francis's actions against conservative Catholics, and challenging his reputation for mercy.
Favorite Things
Favorite Football ClubSan Lorenzo Football Club
Favorite FilmBabette's Feast
Favorite CityBuenos Aires
Favorite AuthorsHolderlin, Alessandro Manzoni, Dante Alighieri, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jorge Luis Borges and J. R. R. Tolkien
Favorite PaintingChagall's White Crucifixion
Favorite PersonHis Grandmother, Rosa
Favorite ActressTita Merello
Favorite SaintTherese de Lisieux
Favorite VertueThe Vertue of Love
Favorite DanceTango
Girls, Affairs and More
Marital StatusUnmarried
Money Factor
Net WorthNot Known
Awards/Nominations
OrdersNational Orders From Vatican City
Supreme Order of Christ
Order of the Golden Spur
Order of Pius IX
Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of St. Sylvester
Foreign Orders
Grand Collar of the Order of the Condor of the Andes from Bolivia on 9 July 2015
Order of Merit "Father Luis Espinal Camps" from Bolivia on 9 July 2015
Order of the Smile from Poland on 26 April 2016
Awards
International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen 2016
"Person of the Year" by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (2015) for his request that all Catholics be kind to animals

Pope Francis

Some Lesser Known Facts About Pope Francis

  • Does Pope Francis smoke?: Not Known
  • Does Pope Francis drink alcohol?: Not Known
  • Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III in 741.
  • Pope is a polyglot. He can speak Spanish, Latin and Italian fluently and understanding German, French, Portuguese, English, and Ukrainian.
  • His Father Mario José Bergoglio was an Italian immigrant accountant born in Portacomaro (Province of Asti) in Italy’s Piedmont region.
  • Mario José’s family left Italy in 1929, to escape the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini.Banito Mussolini
  • The Pontiff has only one functioning lung. He had his right lung removed in his youth due to an infection, but he appears to be in good health even at the ripe age of almost 80.
  • Before he became a Jesuit, Pope Francis used to work as a bouncer in a Buenos Aries bar to help pay for his studies.
  • During the 1960´s, He taught literature, philosophy, psychology, and theology at several high schools in Argentina.
  • When he was 12 years old, he fell in love with a girl from his neighborhood. He reportedly told her, “If I don’t marry you, I’m going to be a priest.” Even in this case, the Pontiff kept his word.Pope Francis during his Childhood
  • Currently, Pope holds the citizenship of three countries; Argentina, Italy and Vatican City.
  • In 2013, news magazine the TIME named Pope Francis the Person of the Year, a prestigious title was given to the one who “has done the most to influence the events of the year”.Pope Francis on Cover page of TIME magazine
  • In 2001, as the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 AIDS patients at an Argentine hospice.Pope Francis touching the feet of patients
  • Pope Francis came out strong against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Francis has branded the sexual abuse of children by priests an ugly crime saying he would show zero tolerance for anyone in the church who perpetrated such crimes against children.
  • On 15 March 2024, the autobiography of Pope ‘Life, My Story Through History’ was released. In the book, Pope said he did not plan to resign and preferred being called ‘Bishop Emeritus of Rome’ rather than ‘Pope Emeritus.’

    Pope Francis' autobiographical book 'Life: My Story Through History'

    Pope Francis’ autobiographical book ‘Life: My Story Through History’