Whois & Analysis for vaticannews.va

Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the 266th and current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he holds ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and sovereign of Vatican City.

He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first Pope from outside Europe since the Syrian Gregory III, who reigned in the 8th century.

The Holy See, also referred to as the See of Rome, is the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, the episcopal see of the Pope, and an independent sovereign entity.

It serves as the central point of reference for the Catholic Church everywhere and the focal point of communion due to its position as the pre-eminent episcopal see of the universal church.

Today, it is responsible for the governance of all Catholics, organised in their Particular Churches, Patriarchates and religious institutes.

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with more than 1.27 billion members worldwide.

As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation.

Headed by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope, the church's doctrines are summarised in the Nicene Creed.

Its central administration is located in the Vatican City, enclaved in Rome, Italy.