Dr. Elizabeth O’Donnell Gandolfo of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity on Pope Francis

Pope Francis broke centuries of tradition from the moment he stepped onto the world stage. As the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pontiff, and the first to take the name Francis—after St. Francis of Assisi—he symbolized a shift toward humility, service, and care for the marginalized.Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian immigrant parents, he was the eldest of five children. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969 and later led the order in Argentina during the country’s violent military dictatorship in the 1970s—an era that tested his leadership and moral conviction. After serving as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was elevated to cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II.Throughout his papacy, Francis made bold stances on issues like climate change, economic inequality, immigration, and LGBTQ+ inclusion—often putting him at odds with conservative voices within the Church. Dr. Elizabeth O’Donnell Gandolfo from the Wake Forest University School of Divinity joined Jeff Hamlin to explore how Pope Francis' leadership challenged tradition and inspired reform-minded Catholics across the globe.