Pope Francis Timeline, Humble Beginnings to World Leader

Pope Francis: A Journey from Modest Beginnings to Global Leadership (Video Timeline)
Published on May 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM PDT

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian immigrant parents as the eldest of five siblings. He attended a Catholic grade school and later graduated from a trade high school with a diploma in chemical technology before working in a food laboratory.

Facing health challenges in his early years, including a severe bout of pneumonia and lung cysts that required surgery, he persevered. At 22, he felt a calling to join an Argentine seminary and eventually became ordained as a priest in 1969. Bergoglio rose through the ranks of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming a cardinal in 2001.

In 2013, following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was elected as the new Pope, choosing the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. His papacy was marked by a commitment to social justice and a humble lifestyle, evident in his decision to live in a guest house rather than the traditional Papal residence.

Fluent in multiple languages, Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 in his Vatican residence after battling bronchitis, pneumonia, and suffering a stroke. His legacy as the first Pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit will endure.