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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
| type = Pope
| honorific-prefix = His Holiness Pope
| name = Francis
| title = [[Bishop of Rome]]
| image = Franciscus, 2023 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Pope Francis in 2023
| term_start = 13 March 2013
| term_end = <!--Update the [[Current pope]] redirect and the {{Incumbent pope}} and {{Incumbent pope 2}} templates if changing this-->
| predecessor = [[Benedict XVI]]
| successor = <!--Update the [[Current pope]] redirect and the {{Incumbent pope}} and {{Incumbent pope 2}} templates if changing this-->
| see = [[Holy See]]
| diocese = [[Diocese of Rome|Rome]]
| ordination = 13 December 1969
| ordained_by = [[Ramón José Castellano]]
| consecration = 27 June 1992
| consecrated_by = [[Antonio Quarracino]]
| cardinal = 21 February 2001
| created_cardinal_by = [[John Paul II]]
| birth_name = Jorge Mario Bergoglio
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1936|12|17}}
| birth_place = [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina
| nationality = [[Argentines|Argentine]] (with Vatican citizenship)
| religion = [[Catholic Church]]
| residence = [[Domus Sanctae Marthae]]
| parents = Mario José Bergoglio and Regina María Sívori
| previous_post = [[Provincial superior]] of the [[Society of Jesus]] in Argentina (1973–1979)<br />[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires|Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires]] (1992–1997)<br />Titular Bishop of [[Auca (titular diocese)|Auca]] (1992–1997)<br />[[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires|Archbishop of Buenos Aires]] (1998–2013)<br />Cardinal Priest of [[San Roberto Bellarmino (church)|San Roberto Bellarmino]] (2001–2013)<br />[[Ordinariate for the faithful of eastern rite|Ordinary of the Ordinariate for the Faithful of the Eastern Rites in Argentina]] (1998–2013)<br />President of the [[Argentine Episcopal Conference]] (2005–2011)
| signature = FirmaPapaFrancisco.svg
| coat_of_arms = Insigne Francisci.svg
| motto = {{lang|la|Miserando atque eligendo}}{{efn|Press reports have provided a variety of translations for the phrase. According to [[Vatican Radio]]: "Pope Francis has chosen the motto ''Miserando atque eligendo'', meaning lowly but chosen; literally in Latin by having mercy, by choosing him. The motto is one Francis used as bishop. It is taken from the homilies of the [[Bede|Venerable Bede]] on [[Gospel of Matthew|Saint Matthew's Gospel]] relating to his vocation: 'Jesus saw the tax collector and by having mercy chose him as an apostle saying to him: Follow me.'"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/18/pope_francis_:_miserando_atque_eligendo.../en1-674605 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705010045/http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/18/pope_francis_%3A_miserando_atque_eligendo.../en1-674605 |archivedate= 5 July 2013 |title=Pope Francis: "Miserando atque eligendo"... |first=Veronica |last=Scarisbrick |date=18 March 2013 |website= |publisher=[[Vatican Radio]] |accessdate=19 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>}}
}}
{{Infobox pope styles
|image=Coat of arms of Franciscus.svg
|image_size=200px
|dipstyle=[[His Holiness]]
|offstyle=Your Holiness
|relstyle=Holy Father
|deathstyle=
}}
'''Pope Francis''' ('''Jorge Mario Bergoglio''') ({{lang-la|Franciscus}}, {{lang-it|Francesco}}, {{lang-es|Francisco}}; born on 17 December 1936) is the [[List of popes|266th]]<ref name="list">[https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-pope-succession-idUSBRE92808520130313 "Argentina's Bergoglio elected as new pope,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150606001549/http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/13/us-pope-succession-idUSBRE92808520130313 |date=2015-06-06 }} Reuters, 13 March 2013; [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12272b.htm  "List of Popes,"]  ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' (2009); retrieved 13 March 2013.</ref><ref name="guardian">{{cite news|last=Rice-Oxley|first=Mark|title=Pope Francis: the humble pontiff with practical approach to poverty|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/13/jorge-mario-bergoglio-pope-poverty|accessdate=13 March 2013|newspaper=The Guardian (UK)|date=13 March 2013}}</ref> and current [[pope]] of the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]]. He was [[Papal conclave|elected]] on 13 March 2013. He chose the name '''Francis''' to honor [[St. Francis of Assisi]].<ref>{{cite news |date=2013-03-16 |title=Pope Francis explains decision to take St Francis of Assisi's name|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/16/pope-francis-st-francis-assisi|url-status=dead |work=The Guardian |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317092441/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/16/pope-francis-st-francis-assisi |archivedate=2013-03-17 |access-date=2021-10-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 77, of Argentina is Pope Francis I |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/299168/news/world/jorge-mario-bergoglio-77-of-argentina-is-pope-francis-i |newspaper=[[GMA News and Public Affairs|GMA News]] |date=14 March 2013 |accessdate=13 March 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="news.va">{{cite news|url=http://www.news.va/en/news/habemus-papam-cardinal-bergolio-elected-pope|title=Habemus Papam! Cardinal Bergolio Elected Pope - Fracis I|publisher=Vatican News Agency|access-date=2013-03-13|archive-date=2013-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316043440/http://www.news.va/en/news/habemus-papam-cardinal-bergolio-elected-pope|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="st.francis">{{cite news|url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/03/13/the_story_of_saint_francis...._/en1-673110|title=The Story of Saint Francis...|publisher=Vatican Radio}}</ref>

Francis is the first [[Jesuit]] pope.<ref name="news.va" /> He is also the first pope in more than a [[millennium]] who is not [[Europe]]an.<ref>Cockerton, Paul. [https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/argentinian-pope-francis-i-cardinal-1761615 "It's Pope Francis I: First non-European elected to lead Catholic Church for 1,000 years,"] ''The Mirror'' (UK). 13 March 2013; retrieved 13 March 2012.</ref>  He is the first pope ever to come from the [[Americas]], and the first from the [[Southern Hemisphere]].<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/13/cardinal-walter-kasper-says-pope-francis-will-bring-new-life-to-vatican-ii_n_3076386.html?utm_hp_ref=pope-francis |title=Cardinal Walter Kasper Says Pope Francis Will Bring New Life To Vatican II |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=13 April 2013 |accessdate=23 June 2013}}</ref>

From 1998 until he was [[Papal conclave|elected as the pope]], Francis was the [[Archbishop]] of [[Buenos Aires]].  Throughout his life, both as an individual and a [[religious]] leader, he has been known for his humility, his concern for the [[poverty|poor]], and his commitment to [[dialogue]] as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and [[Religion|faiths]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Feiden|first=Douglas|title=Pope Francis, the new leader of the Catholic Church, praised by many for practicing what he preaches, his humble nature and his empathy for the poor|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/popebio-article-1.1287994|accessdate=4 June 2013|newspaper=New York Daily News|date=13 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Vallely|first=Paul|title=Pope Francis profile: Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a humble man who moved out of a palace into an apartment, cooks his own meals and travels by bus|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/pope-francis-profile-jorge-mario-bergoglio-a-humble-man-who-moved-out-of-a-palace-into-an-apartment-cooks-his-own-meals-and-travels-by-bus-8533450.html|accessdate=4 June 2013|newspaper=The Independent|date=14 March 2013|archive-date=26 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926001444/http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/pope-francis-profile-jorge-mario-bergoglio-a-humble-man-who-moved-out-of-a-palace-into-an-apartment-cooks-his-own-meals-and-travels-by-bus-8533450.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Pope Appeals for More Interreligious Dialogue |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/world/europe/pope-francis-urges-more-interreligious-dialogue.html?_r=0 |date=22 March 2013 |accessdate=16 June 2013}}</ref>  He has expressed concern about the effects of [[global warming]] ([[climate change]]).<ref>{{cite news|last=|first=|title=Pope to make moral case for action on climate change|url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22530044.500-pope-to-make-moral-case-for-action-on-climate-change.html |accessdate=24 October 2015 |newspaper=[[New Scientist]] |date=14 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/pope-rallies-bishops-to-press-climate-call-before-paris-meet/2015/10/19/50b19d02-7656-11e5-a5e2-40d6b2ad18dd_story.html |title=Pope rallies bishops to press climate call before Paris meet |agency=Associated Press |date=19 October 2015 |newspaper=Washington Post |accessdate=24 October 2015 |quote=Pope Francis encourages bishops from around the world to sign an appeal to [[List of national rulers|world leaders]], 2015 [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|United Nations Climate Change Conference]] in [[Paris]] next month, for crucial [[climate change]] talks. In a major teaching document in June, the [[encyclical]] ''[[Laudato Si']]'' (Latin: Praised be), Francis denounced what he called the “structurally perverse” [[fossil fuel]]-based world [[economy]] that exploits the poor and destroys the [[Planetary habitability|habitability]] of the Earth for humans. |archive-date=20 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020154738/http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/pope-rallies-bishops-to-press-climate-call-before-paris-meet/2015/10/19/50b19d02-7656-11e5-a5e2-40d6b2ad18dd_story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>  In his 2015 [[encyclical]] ''[[Laudato si']]'' , he wrote about these issues, and others.

Since his election to the papacy, he has shown a simpler and less formal approach to the office, choosing to live in the [[Vatican City|Vatican]] guesthouse and not the papal residence.

==Early life==
Pope Francis<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nieuwsupdates.com/2013/03/13/habemus-papam-hervormingsgezinde-latinopaus-gekozen/|title=Deze domeinnaam is geregistreerd door een klant van Yourhosting.nl|website=nieuwsupdates.com|access-date=2014-02-12|archive-date=2013-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130527174415/http://nieuwsupdates.com/2013/03/13/habemus-papam-hervormingsgezinde-latinopaus-gekozen/|url-status=dead}}</ref> was born in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]. He was one of the children of Mario Bergoglio, an [[Italy|Italian]] [[Rail transport|railway]] [[accountant]], and Regina Maria Bergoglio ([[née]] Sívori), a [[housewife]].<ref name="guardian" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/biography/documents/papa-francesco-biografia-bergoglio.html|title=Biography - Francis|website=w2.vatican.va}}</ref>

He received a [[master's degree]] in [[philosophy]] and [[theology]] from the [[University of Buenos Aires]].<ref name="SJCG">{{cite web |title= Jesuit Argentine Cardinal Bergoglio elected pope, takes name Francis I |url= http://www.jesuit.org/2013/03/13/jesuit-argentine-cardinal-jesuit-bergoglio-elected-pope-takes-name-francis-i/ |accessdate=13 March 2013 |publisher=Society of Jesus in the United States}}</ref> After that, he studied at the [[seminary]] in [[Villa Devoto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/03/13/cardinal-bergoglio-profile/|title=Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio: a profile|date=13 March 2013|website=Catholic Herald|access-date=15 February 2019|archive-date=20 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120011524/https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2013/03/13/cardinal-bergoglio-profile/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He entered the [[Society of Jesus]] (the Jesuits) on 11 March 1958.

==Career before becoming Pope==
===Jesuit===
Pope Francis became a member of the Society of Jesus in 1958. He was made a [[priest]] in 1969. In 1973, he was named "provincial" or head of the Jesuits in Argentina.<ref>[http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/premium/world/new-pope-soccer-fan-common-touch-20130315  "New pope a soccer fan with common touch,"]{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ''Business Times'' (Singapore). 15 March 2013; retrieved 15 February 2013.</ref>  In the mid-1980s, he began working on a [[Doctorate|doctoral degree]] at [[Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology]] in [[Frankfurt]], [[Germany]].<ref>Hans, Barbara. [http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/profile-of-new-pope-francis-a-888809.html  "The Surprise Pope: Humble and Ascetic with a Murky Past,"] ''Spiegel'' (Germanhy).  13 March 2013; excerpt, [http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/profile-of-new-pope-francis-a-888809.html  "Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology, which is located in Frankfurt"]; [http://www.sankt-georgen.de/  "''Papst Franziskus''" (Pope Francis)], ''Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen Frankfurt am Main''; retrieved 17 March 2013.</ref>

===Bishop===
[[Pope John Paul II]] appointed Bergoglio the [[Archbishop]] of Buenos Aires in 1998. During the 2001 Consistory, Pope named Bergoglio as a [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]].

== Meeting of Al-Sistani with Pope Francis ==
Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani met on 6 March 2021 for at most 40 minutes, part of the time alone except for interpreters, in the Shiite cleric’s modest home in the city of [[Najaf]]. Every detail was scrutinized ahead of time in painstaking, behind-the-scenes preparations that touched on everything from shoes to seating arrangements.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Qasim Abdul Zahra|author2=Samya Kullab|title=Intense preparations before pontiff meets Iraqi ayatollah|url=https://apnews.com/article/pope-ayatollah-meeting-preparation-iraq-6ebc225f98c0f711f4e86227df34d517 |access-date=6 March 2021|work=The Associated Press|date=3 March 2021}}</ref> Pope Francis said in a statement that there should be "unity" between followers of different religions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/pope-francis-top-shiite-cleric-plead-for-peace-in-historic-iraq-encounter-2385583?amp=1&akamai-rum=off|title = Pope, Top Shiite Cleric Plead for "Peace" in Historic Iraq Encounter}}</ref>

==Pope==
Cardinal Bergoglio was [[2013 papal conclave|elected]] on 13 March 2013. He chose the name "Francis" to honor St. Francis of Assisi.<ref name="news.va"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 77, of Argentina is Pope Francis |agency=Reuters |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/299168/news/world/jorge-mario-bergoglio-77-of-argentina-is-pope-francis |newspaper=[[GMA News and Public Affairs|GMA News]] |date=14 March 2013 |accessdate=13 March 2013 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>  Just after he was elected, Francis told a newspaper how he chose the new name:

<blockquote>''"Let me tell you a story," he said.  He then [explained] how during the [[papal conclave|conclave]] he had sat next to Cardinal Cláudio Hummes of [[Brazil]], whom he called "a great friend."  After the voting, Cardinal Hummes "hugged me, he kissed me and he said, 'Don't forget [[poverty|the poor]]!'  And that word entered here," the pope said, pointing to his heart.  "I thought of [[war]]s, while the voting continued, though all the votes," he said ... "And Francis is the man of [[peace]].  And that way the name came about, came into my heart: Francis of Assisi."'' <ref name=nyt/></blockquote>

Despite both his parents being [[Italy|Italian]]s, Francis is the first non-European pope since [[Pope Gregory III]]<ref>Goodstein, Laurie. [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/world/europe/cardinals-start-subtle-process-of-pope-choice.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0  "Pope Electors Are Sizing Up a Field of Peers,"] ''New York Times.'' 16 February 2013; retrieved 13 March 2013.</ref> in the [[8th century]].

Pope Francis is the first pope to speak to a session of the [[United States Congress]].  He spoke there during his visit to the [[United States]] on 24 September 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/us/pope-francis-congress-speech.html?_r=0|title=Pope Francis Challenges Congress to Heal World's 'Open Wounds'|work=New York Times.com|date=24 September 2015|accessdate=24 September 2015|last1=Baker|first1=Peter}}</ref>

==Other interests==
Personally, Pope Francis likes to read books by authors such as [[Friedrich Hölderlin]], [[Jorge Luis Borges]] or [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]]. He likes to watch movies of [[Italian neorealism]], and likes to go to the [[opera]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Farago |first=Jason |authorlink= |title=What does Pope Francis's taste in art, music and film say about him? |work=The Guardian |publisher= |date=19 September 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/19/pope-francis-jesuit-journal-interview-art |format= |doi= |accessdate=29 April 2016 |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Mobley |first=Mark |authorlink= |title=Breaking: Pope Francis Loves Opera |work=Deceptive Cadence from NPR Classical |publisher=National Public Radio |date=13 March 2013 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2013/03/13/174219726/breaking-pope-francis-i-loves-opera |format= |doi=  |archiveurl= |archivedate= }}</ref>

He is also interested in [[Association football|football]]. He is an active member of [[C.A. San Lorenzo de Almagro|San Lorenzo de Almagro]], which is one of the teams in the [[Primera División Argentina|''Primera División'']] league.<ref>Weiss, Jessica.  "He Roots for ‘the Saints,’ on the Soccer Field and Off," ''New York Times.'' 14 March 2013; excerpt, "He is No. 88,235 on the club’s member list"; retrieved 15 March 2013.</ref>

In 2015, Pope Francis released a [[progressive rock]] album titled ''[[Wake Up! (Pope Francis album)|Wake Up!]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Kreps|first1=Daniel|title=Pope Francis to Release Pop-Rock Album 'Wake Up!'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pope-francis-to-release-pop-rock-album-wake-up-20150925|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=25 September 2015|date=25 September 2015|archive-date=10 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210215714/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pope-francis-to-release-pop-rock-album-wake-up-20150925|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Teachings==
===Celibacy of priests===
When Pope Francis was a Cardinal, his views about the [[celibacy]] of priests were recorded in the book ''[[On Heaven and Earth]].''  The book is a record of conversations he had with a Buenos Aires [[rabbi]].<ref name="gibson">Gibson, David, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/20/pope-francis-celibacy-sex-abuse/2004151/ "Book reveals new pope's views on celibacy, abuse, crisis"], USA Today (from Religion News Service), 20 March 2013, Retrieved 21 March 2013</ref> In this book, he said that celibacy "is a matter of [[discipline]], not of [[faith]]. It can change."  However, he added: "For the moment, I am in favor of maintaining celibacy, with all its [positive and negative parts], because we have ten [[centuries]] of good experiences rather than failures [...] [[Tradition]] has weight and [[validity]]."<ref name="celibacy">Connor, Tracy, [http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/20/17386717-pope-francis-spoke-of-being-dazzled-by-girl-possible-change-of-celibacy-rule?lite "Pope Francis spoke of being 'dazzled' by girl, possible change of celibacy rule"], worldnews.nbcnews.com, 21 March 2013, Retrieved 21 March 2013</ref>

He also said that "in the Byzantine, Ukrainian, [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian]], and Greek Catholic Churches [...] the priests can be [[Marriage|married]], but the [[bishop]]s have to be celibate".<ref name="celibacy" />{{efn|Both in the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] and in the [[Eastern Orthodox Churches]], married men can be ordained to the priesthood, but priests cannot marry after having been ordained. See [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_19901018_codex-can-eccl-orient-2_lt.html#TITULUS_XVI Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 795]}} He said that many of those in Western Catholicism who are pushing for more discussion about the issue do so from a position of "pragmatism", based on a loss of manpower.<ref name="celibacy" /> He states that "If, hypothetically, Western Catholicism were to review the issue of celibacy, I think it would do so for [[cultural]] reasons (as in the East), not so much as a universal option."<ref name="celibacy" /> He emphasized that, in the meantime, the rule must be strictly followed, and any priest who cannot obey it "has to leave the [[Religious ministry|ministry]]."<ref name="celibacy" />

[[National Catholic Reporter]] Vatican analyst [[Thomas Reese]], also a Jesuit, called Bergoglio's use of "conditional language" regarding the rule of celibacy "remarkable."<ref name="gibson"/>  He said that phrases like "for the moment" and "for now" are "not the kind of qualifications one normally hears when bishops and cardinals discuss celibacy."<ref name="gibson"/>

===Beliefs about homosexuality===
Pope Francis supports the Catholic teaching that [[homosexuality|homosexual]] acts are immoral. However, he has said that gay people should be treated with respect.<ref>{{cite web |author=Catholic Online |url=http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=50111 |title=NEW POPE: Who is this man named Bergoglio? – Living Faith – Home & Family – Catholic Online |publisher=Catholic.org |accessdate=13 March 2013 |archive-date=17 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317025209/http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=50111 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church – The sixth commandment |publisher=Vatican.va |date=29 October 1951 |accessdate=13 March 2013}}</ref> Bergoglio is against [[same-sex marriage]].  In 2011, he called it "the [[Devil]]'s work".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.infobae.com/notas/525351-Para-Bergoglio-la-ley-de-matrimonio-gay-es-039una-movida-del-Diablo039.html |title=Para Bergoglio, la ley de matrimonio gay es 'una movida del Diablo' – |publisher=Infobae.com |date=30 January 2011 |accessdate=13 March 2013 |quote=una movida del Diablo |archive-date=16 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316030630/http://www.infobae.com/notas/525351-Para-Bergoglio-la-ley-de-matrimonio-gay-es-039una-movida-del-Diablo039.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Argentina]] considered legalizing same-sex marriage in 2010. At that time, Bergoglio was against this [[legislation]].<ref name=cbc20130318>{{cite news |title=Clashing Pope Francis, Argentine president meet in Vatican |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2013/03/18/wrd-pope-francis-meets-argentine-president.html|accessdate=18 March 2013|newspaper=CBC News|date=18 March 2013}}</ref> He called it a "real and dire [[Anthropology|anthropological]] throwback."<ref>{{cite news|last=Padgett|first=Tim|title=The Vatican and Women: Casting the First Stone|url=http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2004702,00.html|accessdate=13 March 2013|newspaper=Time|date=18 July 2010|archive-date=11 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130311074244/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2004702,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2010, while the law was under consideration, he wrote a letter to Argentina's [[cloister]]ed [[nun]]s in which he said:<ref name=pentin>{{cite news|last=Pentin|first=Edward|title=Cardinal Bergoglio Hits Out at Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/cardinal_bergoglio_hits_out_at_same-sex_marriage|accessdate=14 March 2013|newspaper=National Catholic Register|date=8 July 2010}}</ref><ref name=feder>{{cite news|last=Feder|first=J. Lester|title=Pope Francis Brings Lessons Of Argentina's Marriage Fight To Rome|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/lesterfeder/pope-francis-brings-lessons-of-argentinas-marriage-fight-to|accessdate=14 March 2013|newspaper=Buzzfeed|date=13 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/13/17299920-meet-the-new-pope-francis-is-humble-leader-who-takes-the-bus-to-work?lite|title=Meet the new pope: Francis is humble leader who takes the bus to work|author=Erin McClam|work=[[NBC News]]|date=13 March 2013}}</ref>
{{quote|''In the coming weeks, the Argentine people will face a situation whose outcome can seriously harm the family…At stake is the identity and survival of the family: father, mother and children. At stake are the lives of many children who will be [[discrimination|discriminated]] against in advance, and deprived of their human development given by a father and a mother and willed by God. At stake is the total rejection of God's law engraved in our hearts.''}}
{{quote|''Let's not be [[naive]]: This is not a simple [[politics|political]] fight; it is a destructive proposal to [[God]]'s plan. This is not a mere [[legislation|legislative]] proposal (that's just its form), but a move by [[Devil|the father of lies]] that seeks to confuse and deceive the children of God… Let's look to [[Saint Joseph|St. Joseph]], [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Mary]], and [[Jesus|the Child]] to ask fervently that they defend the Argentine family in this moment... May they support, defend, and accompany us in this war of God.''}}
After ''[[L'Osservatore Romano]]'' reported this, several priests expressed their support for the law.<ref name=feder/>{{efn| One priest was suspended after refusing his bishop's order to cease his advocacy.<ref>{{in lang|es}} {{cite news|title=El cura suspendido: A la Iglesia le preocupa más la cama de los argentinos que su mesa |url=http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2010/07/13/noticia_0011.html|accessdate=19 March 2013|newspaper=Perfil|date=13 July 2010|archive-date=18 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518112007/http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2010/07/13/noticia_0011.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} Gay people believe that the church's opposition and Bergoglio's language actually helped the law get passed.  They also think that Catholic officials reacted by taking a less harsh tone in later [[debates]] on social issues such as parental [[surrogacy]].<ref name=abrevaya>{{sp}}{{cite news |last=Abrevaya |first=Sebastian|title=Se abroquelan para defender privilegios |url=http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/elpais/1-201958-2012-08-27.html|accessdate=14 March 2013|newspaper=Pagina 12|date=27 August 2012|quote=medieval, oscurantista|language=Spanish}}</ref><ref>{{sp}}{{cite news|last=De Vedia|first=Mariano|title=La carta de Bergoglio, un error estratégico|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1285258-la-carta-de-bergoglio-un-error-estrategico|accessdate=14 March 2013|date=16 July 2010|language=Spanish|archive-date=18 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018143929/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1285258-la-carta-de-bergoglio-un-error-estrategico|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 29 July 2013, Pope Francis gave an interview to some journalists who were traveling with him. When asked if there should be gay priests,<ref name="MNS">{{cite web|url=http://news.msn.com/world/pope-opens-up-on-gay-priests-says-no-to-women?ocid=ansnews11|title=Pope opens up on gay priests, says no to women|publisher=[[MSN]].com|accessdate=30 July 2013|date=29 July 2013|archive-date=25 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140725225025/http://news.msn.com/world/pope-opens-up-on-gay-priests-says-no-to-women?ocid=ansnews11|url-status=dead}}</ref> Pope Francis replied: {{quote|''If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?''}} Afterwards, when asked if women should become priests,<ref name="MNS"/> Francis replied: {{quote|''The Church has spoken and says no ... that door is closed.''}}

===Beliefs about non-Catholics===
Three days after being elected Pope, Pope Francis told thousands of news [[reporter]]s:
<blockquote>''[Since] many of you do not belong to the Catholic Church, and others are [[atheism|not believers]], I give this [[blessing]] from my heart, in [[silence]], to each one of you, [[wikt:respect|respecting]] the [[conscience]] of each one of you, but knowing that each one of you is a child of God.  May God bless you.''<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|last=Donadio|first=Rachel |title=With Blessing, Pope Shows an Openness to Other Faiths|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/world/europe/with-blessing-pope-shows-an-openness-to-other-faiths.html|work=New York Times|date=16 March 2013 |accessdate=2 March 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

It is very rare for a Pope to bless people who are not Catholics.  By doing this, the Pope was showing that he accepted people who belonged to different religions.<ref name=nyt/>
{{rquote|right|'''''We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.''''' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.radiovaticana.va/storico/2013/05/22/pope_at_mass_culture_of_encounter_is_the_foundation_of_peace/en1-694445 |title=Papal Mass, 22 May 2013 |author=Pope Francis |date=22 May 2013 |website=Reproduced by Vatican Radio Online |publisher=The Holy See |accessdate=May 2, 2016 |quote=}}</ref><br>{{ndash}} Pope Francis, 22 May 2013}}

In a speech on 20 March, Pope Francis said that some people do not follow any religion, but still search "for truth, goodness and beauty."  He said these people are important [[ally|allies]] in protecting human [[dignity]]; making [[peace]]; and caring for the [[Earth]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Address of the Holy Father Pope Francis|url=http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/francesco/speeches/2013/march/documents/papa-francesco_20130320_delegati-fraterni_en.html|accessdate=2 March 2016|publisher=Holy See|date=20 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=atheists>{{cite news|last=Speciale|first=Alessandro|title=Pope Francis says atheists can be 'allies' for the church|url=https://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-20/national/37864118_1_atheists-and-believers-spiritual-leader-muslim-leaders|accessdate=2 March 2016|newspaper=Washington Post|date=20 March 2013|archive-date=21 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621220805/http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-03-20/national/37864118_1_atheists-and-believers-spiritual-leader-muslim-leaders|url-status=dead}}</ref>  This meant the Pope was saying [[atheism|atheists]] could be allies of the Catholic Church, instead of [[enemy|enemies]].

In the same speech, the Pope said that Catholic and [[Jew]]ish people are connected "by a most special spiritual bond."  To [[Muslim]] leaders at the speech he said: "[To] Muslims, who worship God as one, living and [[mercy|merciful]], and [call on] him in prayer... I greatly appreciate your presence ... [In] it, I see a ... sign of a will to grow in [[wikt:mutual|mutual]] [[wikt:esteem|esteem]] and in cooperation for the common good of [[humanity]]."<ref name=atheists/>

In September 2013, Francis wrote a letter that was published in ''[[La Repubblica]]'' [[newspaper]].  The letter said that atheists would be [[forgiveness|forgiven]] by God if they followed their [[conscience]]s and did what they thought was right.  The newspaper's editor, who is not a Catholic, wrote back with a list of questions.  Francis wrote back:
<blockquote>''You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don't believe and who don't seek the faith. I start by saying—and this is the [most important] thing—that God's mercy has no limits if you go to him with a [[wikt:sincere|sincere]] and [truly sorry] heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to [[wikt:obey|obey]] their conscience. Sin, even for those who have no faith, exists when people disobey their conscience.''<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Day |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-atheists-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html |title=Pope Francis assures atheists: You don't have to believe in God to go to heaven |work=The Independent |date=11 September 2013 |accessdate=2 March 2016 |location=London |archive-date=25 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925191341/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-assures-atheists-you-dont-have-to-believe-in-god-to-go-to-heaven-8810062.html |url-status=dead }}</ref></blockquote>

==Recognition==
Francis was named [[2013]] [[Time Person of the Year]] in December 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/living/time-person-of-the-year/index.html|title=Pope Francis named Time Person of the Year 2013|publisher=[[CNN]].com|accessdate=13 December 2013|date=11 December 2013}}</ref>

==Related pages==
* [[List of popes]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}} 
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==Other websites==
{{Commons category|Franciscus}}
*[http://www.vatican.va/ Vatican: the Holy See]&nbsp;– Vatican website
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/  Catholic Hierarchy], [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bbergj.html Pope Francis]
*[http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/cardinals.htm  Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030210828/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/cardinals.htm |date=2011-10-30 }}, [http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-b.htm#Bergoglio Cardinal Bergoglio] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115624/http://www2.fiu.edu/~mirandas/bios-b.htm#Bergoglio |date=2014-08-26 }}

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{{s-bef|before=[[Antonio Quarracino]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Archbishop of Buenos Aires]]|years=28 February 1998 – 13 March 2013}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Mario Aurelio Poli]]}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Pope Benedict XVI|Benedict XVI]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Pope]]|years=13 March 2013 – present}}
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{{Authority control|VIAF=68559410|LCCN=no/99/3356|GND=187082650}}
{{Popes}}
{{Time Persons of the Year 2001–2025}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Francis}}
[[Category:Writers from Buenos Aires]]
[[Category:Popes]]
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Current national leaders]]
[[Category:Time People of the Year]]
[[Category:21st century in religion]]

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