Tracing Pope Francis's Journey: From A Chemical Technician To The Papacy

He was particularly prone to lung infections because he developed pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.

Days after he was hospitalised in February this year, the Vatican said the pope had needed blood transfusions because tests showed he had a low platelet count, which is associated with anaemia.

WHO WAS POPE FRANCIS?

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants.

His real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

Pope Francis was the spiritual leader to more than one-sixth of the world’s population, which accounts for nearly 1.3 billion people.

POPE FRANCIS’ JOURNEY

It is worth noting that Pope Francis was the first pope to come from South America. He took his name from Saint Francis of Assisi, an Italian priest born in the 12th century.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio graduated as a chemical technician and then chose the path of the priesthood, entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto.

On March 11, 1958, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. In 1963, he returned to Argentina after completing his studies in the humanities in Chile.

From 1964 to 1965, he taught literature and psychology at Immaculate Conception College in Santa Fe and in 1966, he taught the same subject at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires.

From 1967-70, he studied theology and obtained a degree from the Colegio of San Jose.

On December 13, 1969, Bergoglio was ordained a priest by Archbishop Ramon Jose Castellano and continued his training between 1970 and 1971. Two years later, on April 22, 1973, he made his final profession with the Jesuits.

On July 31, 1973, Bergoglio was appointed Provincial of the Jesuits in Argentina, an office he held for six years. He then resumed his work in the university sector and from 1980 to 1986, served once again as Rector of the Colegio de San Jose, as well as parish priest, again in San Miguel.

In March 1986, he went to Germany to finish his doctoral thesis. Later, his superiors sent him to the Colegio del Salvador in Buenos Aires and next to the Jesuit Church in the city of Cordoba as spiritual director and confessor.

He was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires on May 20, 1992. Seven days later, on May 27, Bergoglio received episcopal ordination from the Cardinal in the cathedral.

On December 21, 1993, he was entrusted with the office of Vicar General of the Archdiocese after being appointed Episcopal Vicar of the Flores district.

On June 3, 1997, Bergoglio was raised to the dignity of Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires. In less than nine months, on February 28, 1998, he succeeded Cardinal Quarracino upon his death.

On February 21, 2001, Bergoglio was assigned the title of the priest of San Roberto Bellarmino — a church in Rome. The same year in October, he was appointed General Relator to the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Episcopal Ministry.

In 2005, Bergoglio was elected the president of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference, and in 2008, he was reconfirmed for a further three-year mandate.

On March 13, 2013, at the age of 76, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected in the conclave to become the first pope from the Americas.

As the 265th successor to Saint Peter, he was the first pope to take the name of Francis, a name chosen in honour of Saint Francis of Assisi because he wanted “a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security."

WHAT WAS POPE FRANCIS’ MISSION?

According to many media reports, Pope Francis had made it his mission to transform the longstanding conservative image of the Catholic Church.

For years, the pope had continued to push for climate change reform, better treatment of refugees and greater attention to the persecution of religious minorities.

In November 2016, he gave priests the power to forgive women who undergo abortions.

Though with such reforms, Francis had kept some traditional aspects of the Church in place, including a ban on female clergy members.

“My people are poor and I am one of them," Pope Francis had said more than once, explaining his decision to live in an apartment and cook his supper.

According to the Vatican website, Pope Francis had always advised his priests to show mercy and apostolic courage and to keep their doors open to everyone.