Archbishop and Cardinal
In 1998, Bergoglio was appointed Archbishop of Buenos Aires. As archbishop, he distinguished himself by his pastoral focus, particularly among the poor. He rejected the trappings of office, opting to live in a simple apartment rather than the episcopal palace and used public transportation. He became known as the “slum bishop” for his frequent visits to Buenos Aires’s villas miserias (shantytowns), ministering to the city’s marginalized and disenfranchised.
In 2001, Pope John Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Despite his growing stature, Bergoglio remained reserved and avoided the spotlight. He published little and often deflected media attention, earning a reputation for spiritual depth and humility. At the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI, Bergoglio was reportedly the runner-up, suggesting that his candidacy was already being seriously considered by his peers.
Election to the Papacy
The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in 2013 marked a rare moment in modern Church history, opening the door for a new kind of leadership. At age 76, Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope on March 13, 2013. He took the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, signaling a papacy committed to poverty, humility, and care for creation.
From the beginning, Francis departed from tradition. He chose to wear a simple white cassock and appeared on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica asking for the people’s blessing before offering his own. He declined residence in the ornate Apostolic Palace, instead living in the modest guesthouse Domus Sanctae Marthae. These symbolic gestures signaled a break with the hierarchical pomp that had come to define the modern papacy.