Since the beginning of his reign, Pope Francis has delighted and surprised the Catholic Church (and the world!) with his unique, unconventional approach to the papacy. 

Pope Francis, or Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was born on Dec. 17th, 1936 in a barrio of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was one of five children born to an Italian immigrant and his wife. Despite his humble background, Bergoglio rose the ranks of the church, ultimately becoming the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church earlier this year. 

As the first Latin American pontiff in history, Pope Francis became an instant favorite among most Latino communities. Since taking power, Jorge Bergoglio has made it clear that spreading the word of God throughout Latin America is part of his agenda. Within a week of getting sworn in, Pope Francis has already met with Argentinean President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, who he previously clashed with in regards to gay marriage and abortion.

While the world has the opportunity to celebrate history in the making, as the first Latin becomes the new pontiff, we must also wonder what Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio really stands for and whether his beliefs align with the modern Latino in the U.S. There’s no denying that he has his work cut out for him.

More Latinos than ever are leaving the Catholic Church for other religions and spiritual practices—whether it be Pentecostalism, Islam or no spiritual practice at all. What the way we worship says about us as a changing community.