Photos: Pope Francis through the years

Born Dec. 17, 1936, successful Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio was the eldest of 5 children of Italian immigrants.

He credited his devout grandma Rosa with teaching him however to pray. Weekends were spent listening to opera connected the radio, going to Mass and attending matches of the family’s beloved San Lorenzo shot club. As pope, his emotion of shot brought him a immense postulation of jerseys from visitors.

He said helium received his spiritual calling astatine 17 portion going to confession, recounting successful a 2010 biography that, “I don’t cognize what it was, but it changed my life. ... I realized that they were waiting for me.”

He entered the diocesan seminary but switched to the Jesuit bid successful 1958, attracted to its missionary contented and militancy.

Around this time, helium suffered from pneumonia, which led to the removal of the precocious portion of his close lung. His frail wellness prevented him from becoming a missionary, and his less-than-robust lung capableness was possibly liable for his susurration of a dependable and reluctance to sing astatine Mass.

On Dec. 13, 1969, helium was ordained a priest, and instantly began teaching. In 1973, helium was named caput of the Jesuits successful Argentina, an assignment helium aboriginal acknowledged was “crazy” fixed helium was lone 36. “My authoritarian and speedy mode of making decisions led maine to person superior problems and to beryllium accused of being ultraconservative,” helium admitted successful his Civilta Cattolica interview.

His six-year tenure arsenic provincial coincided with Argentina’s murderous 1976-83 dictatorship, erstwhile the subject launched a run against left-wing guerrillas and different authorities opponents.

Bergoglio didn’t publically face the junta and was accused of efficaciously allowing 2 slum priests to beryllium kidnapped and tortured by not publically endorsing their work.

He refused for decades to antagonistic that mentation of events. Only successful a 2010 authorized biography did helium yet recount the behind-the-scenes lengths helium utilized to prevention them, persuading the household clergyman of feared dictator Jorge Videla to telephone successful sick truthful helium could accidental Mass instead. Once successful the junta leader’s home, Bergoglio privately appealed for mercy. Both priests were yet released, among the fewer to person survived prison.

As pope, accounts began to look of the galore radical -- priests, seminarians and governmental dissidents -- whom Bergoglio really saved during the “dirty war,” letting them enactment incognito astatine the seminary oregon helping them flight the country.

Bergoglio went to Germany successful 1986 to probe a never-finished thesis. Returning to Argentina, helium was stationed successful Cordoba during a play helium described arsenic a clip of “great interior crisis.” Out of favour with much progressive Jesuit leaders, helium was yet rescued from obscurity successful 1992 by St. John Paul II, who named him an auxiliary bishop of Buenos Aires. He became archbishop six years later, and was made a cardinal successful 2001.

He came adjacent to becoming pope successful 2005 erstwhile Benedict was elected, gaining the second-most votes successful respective rounds of balloting earlier bowing out.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.