Pope Francis in His Own Words

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, to an Italian immigrant father and an Argentinian mother. At age twenty-two, during a severe case of pneumonia, he had part of one lung removed. Once fully recovered, he decided to devote himself to the priesthood. Pope John Paul II appointed Bergoglio Cardinal in 2001. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013, the Conclave elected Bergoglio, who became Pope Francis I. He died on April 21, 2025.

Julie Schwietert Collazo has written for a variety of magazines including Time, National Geographic Traveler, and Latina, reporting widely on Latin America. She lives in New York, though she has called San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City home as well.

Lisa Rogak is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. Her books have been published in more than two dozen languages. She lives in New Hampshire.