In the nearly 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, most popes have come from Europe, even though there are countries in South and Central America, Asia, and Africa with significant Catholic ...

As archbishop of Argentina, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, who would take the name Francis when he became pope in 2013, came up within the Latin American bishops’ conference, known as CELAM.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Several months after he assumed leadership of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis made his first trip overseas. It was back home to Latin America, where the Argentine pontiff ...

For nearly 1,500 years, a large majority of Catholics in the Western Church attended Mass in Latin. But after the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the rite changed in ways that went well beyond ...

Francis: Pope from Latin America who changed Catholic Church . 21 April 2025. Share Save. Share Save. AP. ... "Look at the peacock," he said, "it's beautiful if you look at it from the front.

Francis: Pope from Latin America who changed Catholic Church . Image source, AP. Published. ... "Look at the peacock," he said, "it's beautiful if you look at it from the front.