Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked for a time as a bouncer and a janitor as a young man before training to be a chemist and working as a technician in a food science laboratory. After recovering from a severe illness of pneumonia and cysts, he was inspired to join the Jesuits in 1958.

"A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just." "Too often we participate in the globalization of indifference. May we strive instead to live global solidarity." "Kindness is firm and persevering intention to always will the good of others, even the unfriendly."

Contrary to popular belief, Pope Francis does not have a wife or a biological child. As a priest, he took a vow of celibacy, which means he committed to abstaining from marriage and having children in order to fully dedicate himself to the service of the Church and its followers.