Pope Francis holds the monstrance as he delivers his extraordinary blessing urbi et orbi (to the city and the world) during a prayer service in the portico of St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 27, 2020. The service was livestreamed in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: CNS/Vatican Media Here is a timeline of some significant events in Pope Francis’ pontificate: 2013, March 13: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is elected pope on the second day of the conclave becoming the first Pope from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European elected in almost 1,300 years. The Jesuit was also the…
