Who is Pope Francis?

He is either an intellectual or someone who collaborated with military dictators. Reports say Jorge Mario Bergoglio or Pope Francis is an “austere Jesuit intellectual” who modernized what had been one of the most conservative Roman Catholic churches in Latin America. The 76-year-old Argentine is the first pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. Initially trained as a chemist, he taught literature, psychology, philosophy and theology before becoming archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. He has spoken strongly against hypocritical priests who refuse to baptize children of single mothers but rejected liberation theology. During Argentina’s 7-year military dictatorship, he was accused of cooperating with the military junta. History shows him to be “opposed to all innovation in the church and above all, during the dictatorship, it shows he was very cozy with the dictatorship,” said a former dean at the University of Buenos Aires. Reports also say he shunned ornate church mansions, took public transportation and cooked his own meals.

Read the full story on Al Jazeera.
More details are on Rappler. 
Pope Francis’ role in Argentina’s ‘Dirty War’ is on the Digital Journal.