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[QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 34799, member: 636"]
Pope Francis was born Jorge Bergoglio in Argentina on December 17, 1936. He became the head of the Catholic Church on March 13, 2013, after Pope Benedict XVI stepped down. He made history as the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first from outside Europe since the 700s. Before leading the global church, he served as Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

People knew Francis for living simply - he chose a small guesthouse instead of the fancy papal palace. He cared deeply about helping those in need and protecting our environment. Francis wanted the church to welcome everyone, especially people who felt left out. He worked to fix problems with abuse in the church, though some praised his efforts and others criticized them.

He picked the name "Francis" after Saint Francis of Assisi, who loved the poor and lived humbly. This choice showed his goals - to lead with kindness and care for those struggling. Saint Francis lived simply and helped others, very different from the powerful image many popes had before.

Cardinals elected Bergoglio on the second day of voting in 2013. When he first appeared as pope, he wore a plain white outfit instead of the traditional red one with fur trim. He kept his old iron cross rather than switching to a gold one. Before blessing the crowd, he asked everyone to pray for the previous pope and him as Rome's new bishop.
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