How Pope Francis’ early life in Argentina shines light on his time in the Vatican

On March 13, 2013, Oscar Crespo was watching TV in his native Buenos Aires when he saw the white smoke appearing above the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican: a new pope was elected.

On March 13, 2013, Oscar Crespo was watching TV in his native Buenos Aires when he saw the white smoke appearing above the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican: a new pope was elected. As with millions of Catholics in Latin America, he was curious to know who would succeed Pope Benedict XVI. To his surprise he heard the name Bergoglio – the surname of his childhood friend – and was immediately overwhelmed by emotion, he recalled. “Bergoglio, Pope! I couldn’t believe it! And right at that moment, my phone started ringing,” Crespo told CNN from Buenos Aires, explaining how he was deluged by callers who knew of their friendship. Shortly after, Crespo watched as Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio appeared at the St. Peter’s Basilica balcony, becoming the first Latin American pope. His election took Crespo and all of Argentina by surprise, while the rest of the world wondered who Jorge Bergoglio was. In the following months, the local government even organized a special tour, “the papal circuit,” so tourists and pilgrims could get a glimpse of Bergoglio’s early years in his native Buenos Aires. Jorge Bergoglio was born in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, on December 17, 1936. The son of Italian immigrants, Mario and Regina, he was the eldest of five siblings.