Pope Francis's A-Z Profile.1

Born in Argentina, Pope Francis is the first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church, as well as the first Jesuit. "It seems my brother cardinals went almost to the end of the world" to choose a pope, he told the crowd in St Peter's Square in his first address - a joke which belied his image as the cardinal who never smiles. Up until 13 March, he was Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires. Analysts did not see him as a favourite for the job of succeeding Benedict XVI and his advanced age - at 76, he is just two years younger than Benedict at the time of his election in 2005 - may have surprised those expecting a younger man as the 266th Pope. However, he appeals to both Church conservatives and reformers, being seen as orthodox on sexual matters, for instance, but liberal on social justice - through far from being a "liberation theologist". Humble lifestyle He was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, of Italian descent. According to his official Vatican biography, he was ordained as a Jesuit in 1969 and went on to study in Argentina and Germany. Who are the Jesuits? *.The Society of Jesus is a male order of the Catholic Church, with 19,000 members worldwide *.It was established in 16th Century Europe as a missionary order and members swear vows of poverty, chastity and obedience *.The order became so powerful that it was suppressed at the end of the 18th Century but later restored *.Have reputation as expert communicators He became a bishop in 1992 and Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. At the 2005 conclave, he was seen as a contender for the papacy. His election took many by surprise in his home city, where many had thought his age ruled him out, says the BBC's Marcia Carmo in Buenos Aires. But any surprise soon gave way to the jubilant blaring of car horns on the streets. As Cardinal Bergoglio, his sermons always had an impact in Argentina and he often stressed social inclusion, indirectly criticising governments that did not pay attention to those on the margins of society, our correspondent says. Francesca Ambrogetti, who co-authored a biography of him, told Reuters news agency that part of his public appeal lay in his "sober and austere" humble lifestyle. "That's the way he lives," she said. "He travels on the underground, the bus, when he goes to Rome he flies economy class." In Buenos Aires, he lived in a simple flat in the building of the Archdiocese. When in Rome, he often preferred to keep his black robe on, instead of the cardinal's red and purple vest he is entitled to wear. He is also said to have re-used the cardinal's vest used by his predecessor. From a humble background in Argentina, Jorge Mario Bergoglio has risen to the head of the Roman Catholic Church as Pope Francis. We look at key moments in his life and career so far. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. His father was an Italian immigrant railway worker. He became a Jesuit priest at 32, a decade after losing a lung due to illness and abandoning his chemistry studies. He became a bishop in 1992 and was made Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. 1970s: Human rights groups have raised questions about his role under the Argentine military dictatorship of 1976-1983 - and particularly about the kidnap of two Jesuit priests. The cardinal's office has always denied his involvement. He told Perfil magazine in 2010 he had helped some dissidents escape the country. 1982: Pope Francis has been a strong supporter of the veterans of the war in the Falkland Islands - referred to in Argentina as Las Malvinas. He has spoken against attempts to "demalvinizar" or gloss over the history of the war. 2001: The Archbishop of Buenos Aires became a cardinal in 2001, as the Argentine economy was in crisis. Speaking in Buenos Aires as thousands joined rallies against government austerity plans, he highlighted the contrast between the rich and "poor people who are persecuted for demanding work". 2005: Cardinal Bergoglio was seen as a strong contender to become Pope at the 2005 conclave to elect a successor to Pope John Paul II. He was reported to be the chief rival to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was duly elected and became Pope Benedict XVI. 2009: As cardinal and archbishop, he stood out for his humility, living in a modest apartment, rather than his luxury official residence. In his sermons, he often stressed social inclusion and criticised governments which did not help those on society's margins of society, describing poverty in Argentina as "immoral and unjust". 2010: Although Pope Francis is strong on social justice, he is extremely conservative on sexual matters. He voiced staunch opposition to gay marriage when it was legalised in Argentina in 2010. He said: "Let's not be naive: this isn't a simple political fight, it is a destructive attack on God's plan."