When I first saw Giotto’s fresco cycle “The Legend of St. Francis” in the upper church of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi—a small Italian town two hours from Rome by train—I ...

Cardinal Bergoglio took the papal name “Francis” after the 13th century nobleman St. Francis of Assisi, who shunned the material wealth of his family to live in a hovel among the lepers and ...

Pope Francis, who chose his papal name after the 13th-century figure St. Francis of Assisi, known as the patron saint of ecologists, was the fiercest climate and environment advocate in the church ...

In Bend, clergy at St. Francis of Assisi Church remembered Francis as a humble and compassionate leader, who set an example for others to follow. Francis died Monday at the age of 88, ...

A timeline highlights the key moments from Pope Francis' life. Skip to ... as the 266th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. ... pope to take the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi.

Pope Francis wants to be buried at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, that is the largest and oldest Marian church in all of Rome, because he wants to bring attention to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Shortly after he was elected in 2013 he said, “How I would like a church that is poor and for the poor. ... St. Francis of Assisi renounced his wealth to live in poverty.

So when Jorge Mario Bergoglio (another Italian) was selected as pope in 2013 and chose Francis as his papal name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, I had that same spiritual excitement as an adult.