Ten interesting facts about Pope Francis

Compiled by Hans Ngala

• Was the first Pope from outside Europe since Pope Gregory III of Syria in the 8th century.
• He chose to become a Catholic priest after recovering from a severe illness
• He was made a Cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001.
• He and John Paul II died exactly 20 years and 2 weeks apart. John Paul died on 2 April 2005.
• He is known for having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors by, for instance, choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guest house rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by previous popes.
• He was a firm critic of right-wing populism which gained traction with the rise of Trump
• He also advocated for the decriminalization of homosexuality, ruffling the feathers of more conservative Catholics especially in Africa
• Before joining the priesthood, he earned a diploma in chemical technology and worked as a technician in a food science lab.
• He was the first Pope to acknowledge and apologize for the role of the Catholic Church in “cultural genocide” of Canadian Indeginous peoples who died in Canadian Catholic boarding schools because they were being forced (and killed) to convert to Catholicism
• He chose the papal name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, a saint known for his humility, poverty, and love for nature—values that he strove to embody.