Teach about the life and and legacy of Pope Francis using this biography worksheet.
To get additional tools to teach about the papacy and the upcoming Papal Conclave, download The Religion Teacher’s Pope Activity Pack which features four, easy-to-teach lessons with worksheets, videos, prayers, meditations, and more. Access it here.
You can also download and print the biography and reflection questions below.
The Life of Pope Francis
(1939–2025)
Pope Francis was born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936. He studied chemistry in school and worked various jobs as a janitor, bar bouncer, and as a technician in a food laboratory until experiencing a call to the priesthood. He entered the seminary to become a Jesuit priest in 1958 and continued his theological formation until his ordination in 1969 and final profession as a Jesuit in 1973. He spent most of his early years teaching in a university and working as a parish priest until he was appointed as a bishop in 1992. He wished to remain humble despite his status as bishop and later archbishop by living in an apartment, taking public transpiration, and cooking his own meals. In 2001 he was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II and became a strong candidate for the papacy in the years that followed. After Pope Benedict XVI announced he would retire in 2013, Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope and took the name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. He was the first pope from the Americas, the Southern Hemisphere, and the Society of Jesus. During his papacy, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of living among and serving the poor, joyful evangelization, divine mercy, and a greater involvement of the laity within the leadership of the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis Reflection Questions
1. How did Pope Francis live a simple life of poverty like his namesake Saint Francis?
2. What small change can you make to live a more humble and simple life?
3. Immediately after he was elected, Pope Francis asked for the world to pray for him. Continue to respond to this request by writing a prayer for the pope.
Download the Pope Francis Biography Worksheet
Download the Pope Francis Biography Worksheet, which includes three questions to help your students reflect on their lives in connection to the life of the pope.
