Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, lived a life full of surprises long before he became the beloved leader of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City.
Millions knew Pope Francis as the humble pontiff who preached compassion and reform, but few know about the unexpected job he once held in his youth. Born on Dec. 17, 1936, Pope Francis grew up in Argentina’s capital in a family of Italian immigrants. But before the white robes, the papal balcony, and before he was “Francis,” the future Pope was once a bar bouncer.
