Pope Francis named ‘Person of the Year’ by Time magazine

Pope Francis has been named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year.”

The 76-year-old was elected the 266th pontiff on March 13 — becoming the first pope from South America. He’s also the first Jesuit to be elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Francis was born Jorge Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and trained as a chemist before he decided to become a priest.

Since his papal coronation, he has gained many fans by going against the grain on many issues. He has committed to tackling the sexual abuse scandal that has plagued the church, and focusing much of his outreach on the poor. He’s also endeared himself to the public by walking around without security and even taking selfies.

In his first public act, the pontiff broke with tradition by asking the crowd packed into St. Peter’s Square to pray for him.

Time magazine selects one person each year who has had the greatest impact on the world, for good or bad.

Last year, U.S. President Barack Obama was named the Person of the Year, saying he was “the 21st century version of this new American.”

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