Top 10 facts about Pope Francis

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina he is the first Pope from the Americas

 

TODAY is the 79th birthday of Pope Francis.

1. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina he is the first Pope from the Americas, the first born in the southern hemisphere and the first Jesuit Pope.

2. He is also the first non-European pope since the Syrian Pope Gregory III in 741.

3. In his youth, he supported himself by working as a bouncer at a nightclub.

 

In his youth, he supported himself by working as a bouncer at a nightclub

Pope Francis is currently in fourth place on the Forbes List of Most Powerful People behind Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama

4. In his youth, he also enjoyed dancing the tango as well as an Argentinian music called the Milonga which had a fast syncopated beat.

5. Besides having a degree in philosophy, he has one in chemistry also.

6. Pope Francis is currently in fourth place on the Forbes List of Most Powerful People behind Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Barack Obama.

7. Pope Francis was born on the same day as rock and roll star Tommy Steele.

Pope Francis is currently in fourth place on the Forbes List of Most Powerful People

Pope Francis was born on the same day as rock and roll star Tommy Steele

8. Officially his title is Pope Francis, not Pope Francis I. The ‘I’ will be added when there is a Pope Francis II.

9. After blessing motorcyclists in Rome in 2013, Pope Francis was given a Harley Davidson which he later autographed and auctioned for charity. It raised over £200,000 for a soup kitchen and hostel.

10. A Harley Davidson owned by his predecessor Benedict XVI later fetched only a fifth as much.