Pope Francis: 5 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About the Pontiff

Pope Francis is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and Vatican City is the world's smallest fully independent nation-state.

His influence transcends not only to spiritual and moral matters but also to political issues and other societal issues, making him one of the most powerful leaders in the world.

A Historic Pope

Pope Francis' real name Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born on Dec. 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a pope of first: the first Jesuit pope, the first Latin American pope, the first from the Americas, and the first non-European pope in more than 1,000 years, per the Associated Press.

He Pushed For Reforms In Church Laws

Francis issued the most comprehensive reform to Catholic Church law in four decades on June 1, 2021, mandating bishops to prosecute priests who abuse minors and vulnerable adults, perpetrate fraud, or attempt to ordain women.

Before that, Francis abolished Vatican confidentiality laws for cases of sexual abuse on December 17, 2019, thereby permitting the Catholic church to disclose papers and information to civil authorities, as well as keeping victims informed about the status of their cases.

He Was A Teacher

He worked at the Colegio del Salvatore in Buenos Aires as a teacher of psychology and literature in 1963. From 1964 to 1965, he taught the same topics at Santa Fe's Immaculate Conception College.

Before entering the Diocesan Seminary of Villa Devoto, Pope Francis attended a technical school and received training as a chemical technician.

Despite his substantial teaching experience, Pope Francis continued his academic education. He obtained his doctorate in theology in Freiburg, Germany, in 1986.

Rockstar Pontiff

Pope Francis is really one of a kind-- should we say cool. He produced a progressive rock album titled 'Wake Up!' It was released in November 2015, according to Good Housekeeping.

The album showcases the pontiff singing and delivering speeches or homilies with upbeat music in the background. The album is available on music streaming sites.

He Had A Girlfriend

One interesting part of Pope Francis' is his love life. Pontiffs before him never or rarely touched the matter in their lives, but the Catholic church's current head has been open about his past romance.

Pope Francis had a childhood sweetheart named Amalia Damonte, who was his neighbor in Flores, Buenos Aires. They used to play in the streets.

According to the story featured in Sky News, the Pope was 12 when he wrote a love letter to Damonte.

Amalia Damonte, 76, grew up in the same Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires as Jorge Bergoglio and said that when the Pontiff was 12, he wrote a letter declaring his love.

She claimed that he decided to enter the priesthood after she turned down his marriage proposal.

" Luckily for him, I said no," Damonte said in a TV interview. The pensioner described him as a "good man, the son of a working-class family."

She admitted that she was shocked and "froze" upon seeing his former flame as the Pope on television.

Pope Francis said in a 2010 interview that he had a lover in the past with whom he loved dancing the tango.