Pope Francis
December 17, 1936 – April 21, 2025
Argentine Jesuit who was pope from 2013 to 2025, the first from the Americas. He stressed care for the poor, migrants and the environment.
Biography
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, joined the Jesuit order and led its Argentine province during the military dictatorship. He became Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and a cardinal in 2001.
Elected in March 2013 after Benedict XVI resigned, he was the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope. He stressed care for the poor, migrants and the environment, notably in the encyclical Laudato si' (2015), reformed Vatican finances and administration, and took a less judgemental tone on divorce and homosexuality.
He died in April 2025 and was succeeded by Leo XIV.