From Tango Lover to Nightclub Bouncer: Top 13 Facts About Pope Francis

© AFP 2023 / ANDREAS SOLAROPope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives for his weekly general audience at St Peter's square in Vatican
Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he arrives for his weekly general audience at St Peter's square in Vatican - Sputnik International
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Pope Francis is a role model for many people. He seeks to maintain good relations with all religious confessors, helps people in need and stays modest despite his status, which is why he is respected not only by Catholics, but by the majority of people worldwide. On December 17, 2016, Pope Francis turned 80.

Pope Francis, also known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, is being perceived by many as an outstanding personality. Below are 13 facts you might have not known about the current head of the Catholic Church.

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1. Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is the first priest from outside of Europe to become pope in modern history. He is also the first pope from Latin America ever.

2. His family was quite big. His parents came for Italy and had 5 children.

3. Pope Francis chose his name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and was the first pope in the Vatican history to call himself like that. St. Francis of Assisi is monk who lived in the 13th century and was well-known for his kindness toward people and animals.

4. He opposes social inequality. "The unfair distribution of benefits is still in place and is a social sin, which limits the ability to lead a full life for many of our brothers," he once said.

5. Pope Francis speaks three languages: Spanish, German and Italian.

6. He studied chemistry at the university, although he never graduated.

7. Pope Francis has only one lung. The other was removed when he was a child, after pneumonia.

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8. Pope Francis loves football. He is a fan of Argentinian football team, San Lorenzo.

9. The head of the Catholic Church is fond of reading fantasy. He likes many works of J.R. Tolkien.

10. The pontiff worked as a nightclub bouncer when he was a student.

11. Pope Francis is fond of cooking and can make a very delicious paella.

12. He had a girlfriend whom he liked dancing tango with in his youth.

13. The number 13 plays a mysterious role in Pope Francis' life. He was consecrate on December 13, 1969 and elected Pope on March 13, 2013.

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