Pope Francis
- Pope, Roman Catholic Church
- Age: 77
- Residence: Vatican City, Vatican City State
- Country of Citizenship: Argentina
Profile
The March 2013 election of Pope Francis has breathed new energy into the
world's largest religion with 1.2 billion followers. The first Jesuit
and Latin American Bishop of Rome preaches compassion for the poor and a
greater role for women while signaling the church to quiet its focus on
"only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of
contraceptives." He has embraced social media, regularly
using Twitter to dispense religious advice to his 3-plus million
followers and is responsible for the world's first papal "selfie." Born
in Buenos Aires as one of five children to an Italian immigrant railway
worker, Pope Francis (né Jorge Mario Bergoglio) cheers Argentina's San
Lorenzo de Almagro soccer club.