Pope Francis is perhaps one of the most well-known figures in the world, and as the leader of the Catholic Church, he was the epitome of goodness and holiness.
Most people knew Pope Francis as the man who traveled in a bulletproof car, shook hands, and blessed members of the public as he went along, but there was more to him than met the eye.
Here are 20 facts you should know.
Pope Francis was born on December 17, 1936, he died at age 88 on Easter Monday, on April 21, 2025.
He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He first became a priest in 1969 but did not become Pope until 2013.
No other Pope in Catholic history had taken the name Francis, and he was also the first Jesuit to be elected as Pope.
The world knew him as Francis, but his real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic friar born in 12th century Italy.
In his days before priesthood, Pope Francis used to enjoy dancing the tango with his then-girlfriend.
While some may have thought he studied Theology, Pope Francis actually earned a Master’s Degree in Chemistry and used to teach the subject in high schools.
Back in Buenos Aires, he even worked as a bouncer in a bar – a far cry from the Vatican!
At the time of his election, medical professionals were concerned about the health of Pope Francis. The missing lung which caused their concern had been removed way back when he was a teen, but he remained in good health for many years.
His Holiness wasn’t one to sit back and get waited on hand and foot, choosing instead to cook his own meals. He had a passion for cooking, and rumor had it that one of his specialty dishes was paella.
Pope Francis certainly wasn’t new to the papal world. When Pope Benedict XVI won the election in 2005, Pope Francis had been a runner-up.
As loving and caring as he seemed, his stance on the issue of gay marriage remained somewhat controversial. In 2001, he visited AIDS patients, even washing and kissing their feet. However, he had openly stated that gay marriage wasn’t included in “God’s plan,” and caused a bit of uproar in 2015 when he allegedly had a secret meeting with Kim Davis, a Kentucky clerk jailed for refusing to marry same-sex couples.
Pope Francis liked to keep up with the modern world and regularly Tweeted to his 18 million followers. His X profile is @Pontifex.
The papal leader spoke fluent Spanish, Italian, and Latin, and had some proficiency in English, German, Ukrainian, French, and Portuguese. A man of many talents – or rather, languages!
Pope Francis never said no to a game of football, being quite a fan of the sport. He supported the San Lorenzo football team from his hometown in Argentina and was gifted many football shirts over the years, building up quite the collection.
The Bible wasn’t the only book he enjoyed reading. In fact, he had read The Lord of the Rings and various other books by J. R. R. Tolkien.
He had been a citizen of three countries: Argentina, Italy, and the Vatican.
Rather than bask in his fame as the leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis chose to live in a small guest house in the Vatican, rather than the traditional papal apartments used by previous leaders.
In 2013, the same year he was elected as Pope, he was named Time’s “Person of the Year.” He earned this title because of the profound influence he had in such a short time as a leader.
Pope Francis received many extravagant gifts over the years, including a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But instead of keeping it for personal use, he sold it and used the proceeds to help the homeless. What a saint!
There we have it. Everyone knew about Pope Francis, but not many truly knew him as a person or the full story of his life.
Who would have thought that this great man would go from being a bouncer at a bar to running the Vatican and becoming a beloved global leader?
