Time magazine has named Pope Francis as the Person of the Year in 2013 on Wednesday.
The magazine chose the Catholic leader for their annual spot due to his rapid moves to change public perception of the church - since he began his papacy earlier this year, he's gained the nickname "the people's pope" for reaching out personally to ailing followers, firing corrupt members of the Vatican and tightening up on sexual crimes against children.
"He really stood out to us as someone who has changed the tone and the perception and the focus of one of the world's largest institutions in an extraordinary way," managing editor of Time magazine Nancy Gibbs told the Associated Press.
A representative from the Vatican said that the win reflected the public's positive reception of the Pope.
"The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honors, but if the choice of Person of Year helps spread the message of the Gospel - a message of God's love for everyone - he will certainly be happy about that," spokesperson Rev. Federico Lombardi said.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was up against President Barack Obama, NSA watchdog Edward Snowden and Miley Cyrus for the title.
In its cover story, Time wrote that the Pope "makes masterly use of 21st century tools to perform his 1st century office. He is photographed washing the feet of female convicts, posing for selfies with young visiters to the Vatica, embracing a man with a deformed face...He is quoted saying...of gay people: 'If a homosexual person is of good will and is in search of God, I am no one to judge.'"
Buenos Aires native Pope Francis has largely been hailed as a new kind of down-to-earth religious leader - as an archbishop in Argentina, Francis reportedly took the bus and prepared his own food.
Once he became Pope, Francis quickly booted the Vatican accountant after allegations of financial fraud, put monetary checks on the bank, made personal calls to people who'd reached out to him, created a Twitter account, @Pontifex, and most recently, was rumored to be leaving the walls of the Vatican city at night in plainclothes with Archbishop Konrad Krajewski to visit homeless people in Rome.
