Ka cika wannan magana: An haife shi a Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio ya yi aiki na ɗan lokaci a matsayin mai tsaron gida da mai kula da gida a matsayin saurayi kafin ya zama mai ilimin sunadarai kuma ya yi aiki a matsayin mai fasaha a dakin binciken kimiyyar abinci. Bayan ya warke daga ciwo mai tsanani, an hure shi ya shiga Society of Jesus (Jesuits) a shekara ta 1958. An naɗa shi firist na Katolika a 1969, kuma daga 1973 zuwa 1979 shi ne babban jami'in Jesuit a lardin Argentina. Ya zama babban bishop na Buenos Aires a shekarar 1998 kuma Paparoma John Paul II ya nada shi kardinal a shekara ta 2001. Ya jagoranci Ikilisiyar Argentina a lokacin tashin hankali na Disamba 2001 a Argentina. Gwamnatocin Néstor Kirchner da Cristina Fernández de Kirchner sun dauke shi a matsayin abokin hamayyar siyasa. Bayan murabus na Paparoma Benedict XVI a ranar 28 ga Fabrairun 2013,
wani taron papal ya zabi Bergoglio a matsayin wanda zai gaje shi a ranar 13 ga Maris. Ya zaɓi Francis a matsayin sunan papal don girmama Saint Francis na Assisi. A cikin rayuwarsa ta jama'a, an lura da Francis saboda tawali'unsa, jaddadawa kan rahamar Allah, hangen nesa na duniya a matsayin Paparoma, damuwa da talakawa da kuma sadaukar da kai ga. An yaba masa da samun tsarin da bai dace ba ga shugabancin papal fiye da magabata, alal misali zaɓar zama a cikin gidan baƙon Domus Sanctae Marthae maimakon a cikin ɗakunan papal na Fadar Apostolic da tsoffin popes suka yi amfani da shi.