7 notable Latin American Christians: saints, a pope, an evangelist

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Twitter

Pope Francis

Pope Francis' reported comments to a gay man that 'God made you like this' have been embraced by the LGBT community as another sign of Francis' message of acceptance.
Pope Francis' reported comments to a gay man that "God made you like this" have been embraced by the LGBT community as another sign of Francis' message of acceptance. | Pixabay/gunthersimmermacher

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Pope Francis garnered global headlines in 2013 when he became the first Latin American pontiff in history.

Within months of his installation, some talked of a “Pope Francis Effect” in which for many countries, attendance for Catholic congregations dramatically increased.

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Francis has garnered controversy, as well as misinterpretation, over comments he has made about the nature of salvation, homosexuality, and the possibility of female ordination.

“The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel,” he once said.

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