WHOHQ Who is Pope Francis?

A boy who decided when he was sixteen to become a priest
A lifelong soccer fan
The first pope from South America.

Follow the amazing journey of Pope Francis, whose warmth and humility have made him beloved around the world.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis, from Argentina, is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. Since being elected pope he has shown a humbler, less formal approach to his office than his predecessors: a warm style that has been referred to as “no frills.” His common touch and accessibility, as well as his insistence that the church  be more open and welcoming, has quickly endeared him not only to Roman Catholics but to millions of others around the world.