Vatican pope francis biography npr

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:

Tomorrow, Pope Francis will mark 10 years as leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

The year-old pontiff has pushed the Catholic Church to the left, cheering many Catholics but also angering traditionalists.

The year-old pontiff has pushed the Catholic Church to the left, cheering many Catholics but also angering traditionalists.

The newly named Pope Francis, as archbishop of Buenos Aires, was known for his humility, for standing with the poor, and for his staunch.

He's the first pope from Latin America, the first to take the name Francis and the first sitting pontiff to publish his memoirs since the 15th.

In Pope Francis' autobiography Hope he reiterates themes of his papacy like hatred of war and unchecked capitalism, and a desire for the Catholic Church.

The new pope, year-old Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, is the first pontiff from Latin America and the first Jesuit.

NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports on the papacy that, over the last decade, has steered the church leftward after more than three decades of conservative leadership.

SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: In St. Peter's Square, a group of young American Catholics are among thousands waiting for Pope Francis to deliver his Sunday message.

Gillian Caruso thinks he's doing a great job.

GILLIAN CARUSO: He came out with a statement that we were talking about at dinner last night, that no pope has ever said, about gay people not being a sin. So that was pretty cool.

POGGIOLI: Her friend Carolyn Cree agrees.

CAROLYN CREE: Especially in this time, like, everyone just feels supported by him, you know?

POGGIOLI: The women are referring to the pope's recent denunciation of laws criminalizing LGBT people as an injustice an