A former bouncer who loves pizza: 6 things to know about Pope Francis

On Monday (Sept 2), Pope Francis embarked on a 12-day Asia-Pacific tour — his longest since becoming head of the Catholic Church in 2013.

After visiting Indonesia, the 87-year-old is now heading to Papua New Guinea, and will visit Timor-Leste before arriving in Singapore on Sept 11.

During his three days here, the pope will celebrate Mass at the National Stadium, visit a nursing home for the elderly and aged sick, as well as Catholic Junior College.

Here are six things you may not have known about Pope Francis.

He chose 'Francis' in honour of a saint

Born as Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Pope Francis is the son of Italian immigrants.

He was elected as pope in 2013 following his predecessor's resignation.

The pope chose his papal name "Francis" in honour of St Francis of Assisi — a 13th-century monk known for his charity and kindness to animals.

"Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor," said Pope Francis at the time.

The name choice was not surprising to observers, given his preference for a simple life even before he became the pope.

He took the bus to work, cooked his own meals and visited people living in the slums in Argentina.

And during his recent trip to Indonesia, the pope was seen riding in a humble Toyota car, reported the Jakarta Globe on Tuesday (Sept 3).

"The choice of vehicle was based on the Vatican's specific request for an ordinary, commonly used car. We were happy to accommodate this," said Major General Achiruddin, commander of Indonesia's Presidential Security Force.

Besides that, Pope Francis chose to stay at the Vatican Embassy in Indonesia instead of a luxury hotel.

First pope from Latin America

Even though about 40 per cent of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics live in Latin America, the pope title had mostly gone to Europeans for centuries.

All that changed in March 2013 when white smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, signalling a new pope had been elected.

Pope Francis was announced as the new leader of the Catholic Church.

The previous non-European pope, Pope Gregory III from Syria, held the role of pontiff for 10 years from the year 731.

An avid football fan

A long-time supporter of Argentinian side San Lorenzo de Almagro, Pope Francis is an avid football fan.

From German side Bayern Munich to Scottish team Celtic, he has hosted various teams and players in Vatican City.

In an interview with an Italian TV channel last November, Pope Francis gave his take on the greatest football player.

When asked to choose between Argentine football stars Lionel Messi and the late Diego Maradona, he answered: "The greatest is Pele".

He was a club bouncer

Sharing about his life prior to becoming a priest, Pope Francis said he worked as a bouncer at a nightclub in his native Argentina.

During a visit to a church in Rome, he also spoke to parishioners about his other job stints such as sweeping floors and working in a chemistry lab.

In the mid-1960s, he taught literature and psychology.

He had part of his lung removed

When he was in his early 20s, Pope Francis suffered from a severe respiratory infection, Associated Press reported. This forced doctors to remove part of one lung. 

A nurse who doubled the dose of his medicine had saved his life, he later recalled. 

His condition "has never been an obstacle either in his rhythm or for his work, his life, or his pastoral care, as demonstrated by leading a diocese that requires such dedication as that of Buenos Aires," said a Vatican official in 2013.

Last November, Pope Francis cancelled his trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai after suffering from influenza and lung inflammation.

Pope Francis loves pizza

When he became pope 11 years ago, Pope Francis found out that it meant losing the freedom to go out for pizza on his own.

Speaking to Mexican broadcaster Televisa in March 2015, he said: "The only thing I would like is to go out one day, without being recognised, and go to a pizzeria for a pizza."

After learning about Pope Francis' love for the Italian staple, a restaurant owner in Naples quickly delivered a pizza to him.

The pope also celebrated his 81st birthday by blowing out a candle on a four-metre-long pizza, the Associated Press reported in 2017.

For more on Pope Francis' state visit, visit our microsite.

ALSO READ: In Muslim-majority Indonesia, Pope Francis warns against religious extremism

chingshijie@asiaone.com