THE PATH TO BECOMING POPE IS A ROAD travelled by only a chosen few. A small group of 266 cardinals have been elected the spiritual leader of Roman Catholicism, whose devotees make up more than a sixth of the world’s population. While each man has worn an important vestment, they’re not necessarily cut from the same cloth. Each has had a unique life, experience and journey to the Vatican.
Pope Francis’s path certainly fits this description. He studied with the Jesuits, and is the first member of that order to be elected Pope. His political sympathies often veer to the Left like his childhood teachers, while his social values generally align with Church doctrine.
