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Jorge Mario Bergoglio -

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) in 1958.

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Archbishop of Buenos Aires -

He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969, and became the archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. He is pictured here shaking hands with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner in the late 1990s.

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Created a cardinal -

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II (pictured).

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Elected as pope -

Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on February 28, 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio was elected his successor. His papacy began on March 13, 2013. Pictured: Francis appears in public for the first time as pope on the St. Peter's Basilica balcony in Vatican City. He was now the figurehead for an estimated 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide.

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Pope Francis -

He chose Francis as his papal name to honor St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of Italy and known for his patronage of animals and the natural environment. Asked why, the pontiff replied, "For me [Assisi] ... is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation."

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Inauguration -

Pope Francis makes his way around St. Peter's Square on March 19, 2013, during his inauguration. The event was held in front of an estimated crowd of up to one million pilgrims and faithful, plus his cardinals and spiritual leaders, as well as heads of states from around the world. 

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The two popes -

A few days into his papacy, Pope Francis met his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The appointment was historic in that it was the first time in recorded history that a pope and former pope had met, since a new pontiff is normally elected upon the death of his predecessor. The 2019 film 'The Two Popes,' starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, is inspired in part by this unique engagement.

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San Lorenzo de Almagro -

Pope Francis is a big soccer fan and has always supported San Lorenzo de Almagro, a Buenos Aires team. He was given a team shirt as he greeted the faithful prior to his first Urbi et Orbi blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica during Easter Mass on March 31, 2013.

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First official engagement -

The pope's first official engagement outside of Rome was to the Italian island of Lampedusa, a key destination of thousands of would-be immigrants from Africa and elsewhere. The pontiff greeted migrants during his visit on July 8, 2013, after which he laid a wreath in the Mediterranean Sea to honor the many hundreds who had died during the perilous journey to Europe.

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Millions in Rio -

After it was announced that Pope Francis would be traveling to Brazil to conduct mass in Rio de Janeiro at the end of World Youth Day celebrations, over three million worshippers gathered on or near Copacabana Beach on July 28, 2013 to join the pontiff in the Eucharist.

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"Gay lobby" -

While speaking to journalists on a July 28, 2013 flight back from Brazil to Italy, Pope Francis reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's position that homosexual acts were sinful. But he surprised the world by adding that homosexual orientation was not. He was responding to questions about whether there was a "gay lobby" in the Vatican. "I haven’t met anyone in the Vatican yet who has 'gay' written on their identity cards," he said. "If a gay person is in eager search of God, who am I to judge them?"

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Tour of the Holy Land -

Pope Francis is pictured with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, as they both pray over the Stone of Unction at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City on May 25, 2014. The historic joint prayer for unity at Christianity's holiest site served as rapprochement between both branches of the church. It also commemorated the 50 years since the two churches last met, in 1964. On that occasion, it was the first meeting since the 15th century.

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Holocaust Museum -

Pope Francis' tour of the Holy Land also saw him visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on May 26, 2014, in Jerusalem.

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Celebrities at the Vatican -

Pope Francis meets with actress and UNHCR ambassador Angelina Jolie on January 8, 2015. Early into his papacy, Francis recognized the power and influence of celebrity, and has welcomed numerous individuals from the worlds of sport and entertainment to the Vatican.

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Holy Friday -

An unusual view of Pope Francis celebrating Holy Friday in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on April 4, 2015.

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Laudato Si -

In June 2015, Pope Francis' encyclical, a collection of principles to guide Catholic teaching entitled Laudato Si, was published. In his thesis on the environment, the pontiff calls on the world's leaders to pull together to fight global warming. The text slams profiteers and slaves to progress, and calls on international movers and shakers to take responsibility for "new modes of production, distribution and consumption."

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Cuba visit -

People wave Cuban and papal flags as the pope arrives to perform mass on September 20, 2015 in Revolution Square in Havana, Cuba. The pontiff called in on the Caribbean nation while on his way to the United States.

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Guest of the White House -

In the United States, Pope Francis was hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, all seen here waving during an arrival ceremony at the White House on September 23, 2015.

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Addressing Congress -

A highlight of the pontiff's US visit was his address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber of the US Capitol on September 24, 2015 in Washington, D.C. He was the first pope to address such a gathering. Francis was later revealed to have played an integral part in healing US-Cuba relations—a result of his earlier island hop.

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Jubilee Year of Mercy -

Pope Francis opens the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on December 8, 2015 in Vatican City. During the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the pontiff solemnly inaugurated the Jubilee Year of Mercy with the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

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Royal visitors -

Pope Francis meets with Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall on April 4, 2017 in Vatican City.

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Commemorating war dead -

In this poignant image, Pope Francis conducts the Saint Mass in memory of all the victims of war during his visit at the American cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, on November 2, 2017.

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Apologies in Ireland -

The pope used his August 2018 visit to Ireland to condemn the long history of sex abuse by Catholic clergy in Ireland and the United States, and acknowledged the church's lack of action on child sexual abuse, calling it a "grave scandal." He also praised the 20 years of peace in Ireland achieved through the Good Friday Agreement. Francis is seen on August 25 addressing the audience during the Festival of Families at Croke Park in Dublin.

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The welfare of children -

Pope Francis greets a youngster as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square on November 14, 2018. An easy rapport with the younger members of the church and a genuine concern for the welfare of children has endeared the pontiff to millions around the world, among them many non-Catholics.

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Recognition of Palestine -

Pope Francis meets the President of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at the Apostolic Palace on December 3, 2018 in Vatican City. During the visit, the Vatican signed a treaty recognizing the state of Palestine.

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First mass on the Arabian Peninsula -

In February 2019, Francis became the first pope to hold a papal mass on the Arabian Peninsula, during a historic three-day visit to the region. He's pictured with Ahmad el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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The "selfie" pope -

Numerous worshippers have been afforded their own unique 'audience' with the pope by way of the pontiff's love of selfies and appreciation of social media.

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Lockdown moment -

Pope Francis delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing from the window of his private library overlooking an empty St. Peter's Square on April 26, 2020 in Vatican City. The pontiff did not allow the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown of Italy to interrupt his daily routine.

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Meeting seminarians -

Complying with their full vaccination obligations, a group of seminarians make the signs of the cross as they are greeted by Pope Francis during his weekly general audience in the St. Damaso courtyard at the Vatican on September 30, 2020.

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Meeting nuns -

Similarly, the pontiff poses for a photograph with a group of nuns at the end of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall the Vatican on November 24, 2021.

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In fashion -

Pope Francis, in a humorous mood, relaxes in a smart, crisp white suit, zucchetto in hand, in a picture worthy of any Italian fashion house, but radiating papal style.

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Pope Francis' health struggles -

Pope Francis faced significant health challenges, including a severe case of double pneumonia that required hospitalization in February. Despite his critical condition, he remained spiritually active, engaging in church work and making calls to support communities in Gaza. Even while undergoing treatment, he approved reforms for the Catholic Church and expressed deep gratitude for the prayers of his global followers, showcasing his unwavering commitment to his faith and duties. His resilience during these difficult times was a testament to his dedication to the Church and his mission.

Sources: (Biography) (Vatican) (BBC) (Times of Israel) 

See also: Is St. Peter really buried under the Vatican?

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