Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936 in Flores,
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
His
father, Mario Jose Francisco Bergoglio, was an Italian immigrant and worked as
an accountant in the Bank of Italy in Turin. His mother Regina MarÃa SÃvori was a full-time
wife.
His
brothers were Alberto Horacio and Oscar Adrian; and his sisters were MarÃa
Elena and Marta Regina.
He was baptized
by Fr. Enrique Pozzoli, an Italian Salesian priest.
He received
First Holy Communion at nine on October 8, 1944 at the Colegio
Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia in Buenos Aires.
He was trained
as a chemical technician and worked as a bouncer
at a nightclub in Buenos Aires prior to entering priesthood.
He
discovered his priestly vocation on September 21, 1954, the feast of St.
Matthew after he paid a visit to the Virgin in St Joseph’s church before
meeting his friends in Catholic Action and going to confession with Fr. Carlos
B. Duarte Ibarra, thus, his motto,“miserando
et eligendo.”
In 1956,
Fr. Pozzzoli had helped Jorge apply at the archdiocesan seminary, Inmaculada
Concepción Seminary, in Villa Devoto. Jesuit Father Juan Carlos Scannone
was teaching Greek and literature in 1957, when a young Jorge Bergoglio was
among his students.
At the
age of 21 in 1957 he had a surgery to remove his right lung due to severe
pneumonia.
He joined
the Society of Jesus as a novice on March 11, 1958 and professed his first vow
as Jesuit on March 12, 1960.
Completed
his studies on the humanities in Chile then returned to Argentina in 1963 where
he graduated with a degree in philosophy from the Colegio Maximo de San José in
San Miguel.
He taught
literature and psychology at Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fé from
1964 to 1965 and at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires in 1966.
He earned
his degree in theology from the Colegio of San José from 1967 to 1970.
He was ordained
priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano on December 13, 1969 and continued
his training between 1970 and 1971 at the University of Alcalá de Henares,
Spain.
He made
his final profession with the Jesuits on April 22, 1973.
On July
31, 1973, he was elected provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina until 1979. After his time as provincial, from 1980 to
1986, he served as rector of the seminary at San Miguel, where he had studied,
and was pastor of a parish in the city.
He went
to Germany in 1986 to finish his doctoral thesis at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School. When he returned
from Germany, his superiors sent him to the University of El Salvador and then
to Cordoba where he served as a confessor and spiritual director.
On June
27, 1992, he was consecrated auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires by Antonio
Cardinal Quarracino, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and given the titular see of
Auca. He became Buenos Aires’ coadjutor bishop on June 3, 1997.
He was installed
Archbishop of Buenos Aires on February 28, 1998. His role as Archbishop of
Buenos Aires made him also the Bishop of the ordinariate for Eastern rite
Catholics in Argentina.
He was created
a cardinal on February 21, 2001 and was appointed cardinal-priest of San
Roberto Bellarmino, a Roman parish associated with the Jesuit order.
Served as
an official of the 10th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2001 and
was the president of the Argentine bishops’ conference for two terms,
2005-2011.
While
Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio was a member of the Congregations for
Divine Worship; for the Clergy; and for Institutes of Consecrated Life, as well
as the Pontifical Council for the Family and the Pontifical Commission for
Latin America.
He was elected
Pope on March 13, 2013, on the fifth ballot of the conclave, during its second
day, taking the name Francis after St. Francis of Assisi.
He was the first Pope who took the name Francis and
from the Americas, and the Jesuit Order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in
the 16th century in Spain.
The Pope who …
§ passionate
loves and supports San Lorenzo Football Club
§ takes bus
and subway trains
§ cooks his
meals
§ loves to
dance tango
§ takes
selfies
§ invites
homeless to his birthday party
§ sees
himself as a sinner
§ believes
the Church should be more like a “field hospital after battle,” with bishops
serving as true pastors and priests spending more time in confessionals,
consoling wounded souls
§ wants to
keep it simple but “cannot live without people”
§ has the
deepest of affections for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, his “brother” who now
lives in a monastery at the Vatican
§ a reformer
who is not afraid to shake things up
§ says “no”
to an economy of exclusion
§ warns
Christians against falling into the trap of spiritual worldliness,” which is
“self-centeredness cloaked in an outward religiosity bereft of God
§ a fervent
devotee of the Blessed Mother
§ a son of
the Church
He speaks
Spanish, Italian, English, French and German.
His Papal
Motto: “miserando atque eligendo” (Lowly
yet chosen)
His Writings
A. Papal Encyclical
Lumen Fidei (Light of Faith) - In his first encyclical Pope Francis reflects on the
meaning of faith, the beginning of God’s gracious salvation. Although
officially Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei) is an encyclical of
Pope Francis and reflects his teaching ministry, it is also reflects the work
of Pope Emeritus Benedict. This is not only Francis’ first encyclical, it is
also the first encyclical to have been openly written by two successors of St.
Peter.
B. Apostolic Exhortation
Evangelii Gaudium (The
Joy of the Gospel, November 24, 2013)
- The Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii
Gaudium was issued by Pope
Francis on November 24, 2013, to mark the end of the Year of Faith. The major
source of Evangelii Gaudium was the fruit of the propositions of
the 13th Ordinary General Synod
of Bishops which met in Rome from 7 - 28 October, 2012, with the theme: The New Evangelization for the
Transmission of the Christian Faith. The Bishops at this Synod sought to renew
the spirit of evangelization in the Church. At the end of the Synod, the
Bishops handed their propositions to Pope Francis which formed the background
to this great Exhortation. The title of this Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, is instructive
in the sense that it calls on Catholics to preach the Gospel with joy. The
Exhortation begins thus: “The
Joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus … With
Christ joy is constantly born anew” (EG #1).
C. Other Books
Education for Choosing Life:
Proposal for Difficult Times - These messages to teachers were given by Pope Francis
while he was cardinal archbishop of Buenos Aires. The cardinal began these
reflections with the assertion that teaching is an act of hope, which requires
a vision of what it means to be human, the belief that this vision can be
realized to some degree even in a fallen world, and the creativity to find ways
to achieve it.
On Heaven and
Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty First
Century - For years Cardinal Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, archbishop of Argentina, and Rabbi Abraham Skorka were tenacious
promoters of interreligious dialogues on faith and reason. They both sought to
build bridges among Catholicism, Judaism, and the world at large. On Heaven and
Earth, originally published in Argentina in 2010, brings together a series of
these conversations where both men talked about various theological and worldly
issues, including God, fundamentalism, atheism, abortion, homosexuality,
euthanasia, same-sex marriage, and globalization. From these personal and
accessible talks comes a first-hand view of the man who would become pope to
1.2 billion Catholics around the world in March 2013.
Open Mind, Faithful
Heart: Reflections on Following Jesus - These
reflections are deeply rooted in the Scriptures and in the pastoral experiences
of the pope. They are relevant to everyone who seeks to grow in understanding
the call to follow Jesus. They also constitute the best introduction to the
energetic and wise spirituality of the pope.
The Church of Mercy: My
Vision for the Church - Collected from Pope Francis’s speeches, homilies,
and papers presented during the first year of his papacy, The Church of Mercy is the first
Vatican-authorized book detailing his vision for the Catholic Church. From how
to be citizens of the world to answering God’s call for evangelization, Pope
Francis’s deep wisdom reminds us that the Church must move beyond its own walls
and joyfully bring God’s mercy wherever suffering, division, or injustice
exists.
The People Wish to See
Jesus: Reflections for Those who teach - These
essays and talks by Pope Francis are packed with powerful insights into what
catechesis, teaching and learning really mean for Christians. Starting
with a tender care for the person of the educator, and of the student, Pope
Francis sheds profound light on the human condition, our need for the Good
News, and the right way to share it—joyfully.
The Way of Humility:
Corruption and Sin, On Self-Accusation - Originally
a series written by Pope Francis while he was cardinal archbishop of Buenos
Aires, these profound meditations give an inspiring introduction to the path of
humility and love needed to form true Christian communities. They are divided
into two separate works: Corruption and Sin, and Self-Accusation.
Walking with Pope
Francis: 30 days with the Encyclical The Light of Faith - Spend thirty days reflection on these beautiful and
tender teachings about faith. A related Scripture passage, a prayer and a
practice in response to the pope’s message will help you experience the deep
joy of a faith-filled life.
His Travels outside
Rome
(1) Brazil – Francis visited Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil for World Youth Day on July 22 – 29, 2013.
(2)
Israel, Jordan, and Palestine – Francis visited Amman, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem
during his three day trip to the Holy Land on May 24 – 26, 2014.
(3) South
Korea – Pope Francis visited South Korea on August 14 – 18, 2014 on the
occasion of the 6th Asian Youth Day and the Beatification of the 124
Korean Martyrs.
(4)
Albania – Pope Francis made a one day visit to the city of Tirana in
Albania on September 21, 2014. The
11-hour visit was his first European visit made by Francis. He chose Albania to
set a model for harmony between the various religions by establishing a
national unity that includes Moslems, Orthodox, and Catholic Christians.
(5)
France – Pope Francis made a four-hour visit, the shortest made by any Pope
abroad, to Strasbourg on November 25, 2014, where he addressed the European
Parliament and the Council of Europe raising issues such as the dignified
treatment of immigrant arriving illegally in Europe and better conditions for
workers.
(6)
Turkey – Pope Francis visited Turkey on November 28 – 30, 2014 at the
invitation of the Turkish President and Patriarch Bartholomew I to commemorate
the feast day of Saint Andrew. He also visited the Blue Mosque where he prayed
silently alongside with senior Islamic clerics.
(7) Sri
Lanka – January 13 – 15, 2015
(8)
Philippines – January 15 – 19, 2015
(9)
United States – September 2015
(10)
Poland – July 25 – 31, 2016
The Logo of the Papal
Visit to the Philippines
COLORS.
The
colors of the logo (blue, red, and yellow) are the colors of the Philippine
flag. The colors therefore represent the country and its people. It is in
solidarity with the victims of recent calamities that the Pope is coming to the
Philippines.
CIRCLES.
The
innermost circle resembles a pearl, and again it symbolizes the Philippines,
which is known as the pearl of the orient seas. The white Cross symbolizes the
Christian faith, and our fervent prayer that the center of our country be our
Lord Jesus Christ. It serves as a reminder as well that more than a State
Visit, the primary objective of the Papal visit is a religious one. He comes to
show and share the Lord’s mercy and compassion with the Filipino people.
The red circle symbolizes Mercy,
one of the themes of the Papal visit. Red is the color of blood and recalls the
sacrifice of our Lord on the cross for our salvation, a holy sacrifice that
manifests and exemplifies Divine Mercy for sinful humanity.
The blue
circle means Compassion,
the other theme of the Papal visit. Blue is the color of divine presence – it
is the color of the sky and the sea that surround our life, much like God’s
presence, that is, God’s compassionate love that permeates and sustains human
existence.
The
sequence of the colors follows the order of the colors of the Philippine flag:
Yellow at the center, blue on top, and red at the bottom.
The red and blue circles appear
like arms embracing the yellow circle. These are the merciful and
compassionate arms of the Pope, the Vicar of Christ, embracing the Philippines,
the pearl of the orient seas. The current Pope is well known for expressing his
love and care for people by spontaneously hugging and kissing them. The red and
blue circles or arms therefore symbolize the Pope’s Merciful and Compassionate
Embrace, and by extension, Christ’s loving embrace. The Pope now comes to the
Philippines to embrace us with his arms of love.
Finally the blue and red
circles appear like ripples, or waves emanating from the inner circle, from the
Cross. We
pray that the Papal visit will indeed create ripples of compassion and mercy
throughout the Filipino nation and beyond January 2015.
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| Pope mobile of Pope Francis in the Philippines |
Sources:
Pope
Francis Biography Graphic
Biography:
The Life of Pope Francis
List of
Pastoral Visits of Pope Francis outside Italy
Pope
Francis: His Life
Pope
Francis: His Writings
10 Things
You Need To Know About Pope Francis
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