Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere , and the first pope from outside Europe since the Syrian Gregory III , who reigned in the 8th century. Born in Buenos Aires , Argentina, Bergoglio was ordained a Catholic priest in , and from to was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus Jesuits. He led the Argentine Church during the December riots in Argentina.
He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Throughout his public life, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, international visibility as pope, concern for the poor and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He is credited with having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes.
He maintains that the Church should be more open and welcoming. He does not support unbridled capitalism , Marxism , or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintains the traditional views of the Church regarding abortion , marriage , ordination of women , and clerical celibacy. He opposes consumerism and overdevelopment , and supports taking action on climate change , a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'.
In international diplomacy, he helped to temporarily restore full diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and supported the cause of refugees during the European and Central American migrant crises. Since , he has been a vocal opponent of neo-nationalism. Francis has faced increasingly open criticism, particularly from theological conservatives, on many questions, including the admission of civilly divorced and remarried Catholics to Communion with the publication of Amoris laetitia and on the question of the alleged cover-up of clergy sexual abuse , against which he promulgated Vos estis lux mundi.
Before joining the Jesuits, Bergoglio worked as a bar bouncer and as a janitor sweeping floors, and he also ran tests in a chemical laboratory. In the only known health crisis of his youth, at the age of 21 he suffered from life-threatening pneumonia and three cysts. He had part of a lung excised shortly afterwards. Bergoglio found his vocation to the priesthood while he was on his way to celebrate the Spring Day.
