Pope Francis Elected

Setting the scene

In February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI made the rare decision to resign, citing declining strength, which created the first papal conclave after a papal resignation in centuries. The Catholic Church faced pressure over sexual abuse scandals, Vatican governance, secularization in Europe, and rapid growth in the Global South. Many cardinals were looking for a pastorally forceful figure who could also reform church administration.

What happened

On March 13, 2013, white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney after cardinals elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires. He chose the name Francis, invoking Francis of Assisi, and became the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first non-European pope in more than a millennium. His first public gestures emphasized humility, including asking the crowd in St. Peter's Square to pray for him.

Why it still matters

Francis shifted the tone of the papacy toward mercy, poverty, migration, environmental stewardship, and a less formal public style, while also provoking debate over doctrine, church governance, and reform. His 2015 encyclical Laudato si' made climate change a major Catholic social teaching issue. Memorable detail: he chose to live in the Vatican guesthouse, Casa Santa Marta, rather than the traditional papal apartments.

Background

Pope Francis was elected in the 2013 papal conclave after Benedict XVI resigned, becoming the first pope from the Americas and the first Jesuit pope.