On March 13, 2013, thousands of people gathered outside Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City—and billions more gathered to see live coverage via TV and the Internet. All eyes watched the cathedral’s balcony doors, where the new pope was about to be revealed. The crowd cheered wildly as 76-year-old Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina—now called Pope Francis—stepped out and greeted the world. Pope Francis became the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, and his election represents many firsts: He is the first pope from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope to take the name Francis. Learn more about this fascinating figure in this new Gateway biography.
