Ten things you didn’t know about Pope Francis

Behind the humorous man who preached peace was someone who once denied entry to troublemakers at a Buenos Aires nightclub. It’s just one of many fascinating facts about the late pontiff.

Pope Francis made a huge impression, and his papacy was defined by themes such as poverty, mercy and joy.

But what characterised the 88-year-old pontiff as a person?

Here are 10 interesting things you may not have known about the man who has led the Catholic Church since 2013.

THE DAILY HUMOUR PRAYER

Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni described Francis’s sense of humour as “proverbial” after a recent visit she paid him in hospital.

It’s consistent with the prayer the Pope reads every day from St Thomas More: “Lord, give me a sense of humour. Grant me the grace to understand a joke, to discover in life a bit of joy, and be able to share it with others.”

Pope Francis gave the daily humour prayer. Picture: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, Pool

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who went onto be the 266th Pope. Picture: Getty Images

HE WAS A BOUNCER

There was a tough streak to the man who preached peace.

Pope Francis used to keep troublemakers out as he guarded the entrance of a bar in Buenos Aires while he was a student.

HE LOVED THE TANGO

The Pope had some strong, flexible hips as a younger man, after many years dancing the tango.

It was one of his favourite hobbies when he was younger.

“I love tango and I used to dance when I was young,” the Pope once said.

In 2014, thousands of Catholics gathered in St Peter’s Square to honour the Pope’s December 17 birthday with his homeland’s famous dance.

Pope Francis waves to the crowd as he rides in the popemobile through Samanes Park, in July 2015. Picture: AP Photo/Fernando Vergara

HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND

One of the many people who used to dance with the Pope was his girlfriend.

He was romantically linked to an unnamed woman in his younger years before he discovered his religious vocation. The relationship did not progress.

HE HAD A PENCHANT FOR POETRY AND OPERA

The Pope cherished many poets and writers; Dante and Dostoevski were favourites.

He once said the words of writers helped him understand himself, the world, and the human heart.

Pope Francis was also an opera lover, taking a liking to Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion and Mozart’s Mass in C Minor.

He also liked the work of Richard Wagner, who often challenged the views of Christianity.

Pope Francis is greeted by children as he celebrates his birthday in December 2023. Picture: AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino

HE DIDN’T WATCH TV

The Pope vowed never to watch television again thanks to a “sordid scene” that appeared while he was watching TV in Buenos Aires in 1990.

He said it deeply offended him and was a sign from God that he should not watch television.

HE LOVED FOOTBALL

The Pontiff supported the Argentinian team San Lorenzo as a boy, avidly following their results via newspaper reports.

He also had a club named after him; Club Deportivo Papa Francisco based in San Francisco Solano in Buenos Aires province.

Pope Francis arrives for an audience with residents of the areas of central Italy hit by earthquakes, in the Pope Paul IV hall, at the Vatican, in 2017. Picture: AP Photo/Andrew Medichini

Pope Francis waves to a cheering crowd of faithful as he drives by in a public transportation tram he used to reach the venue of the World Youth Days in Krakow, Poland in 2016. Picture: AP

HE RELEASED AN ALBUM

Pope Francis released the progressive rock album “Wake Up!” in November 2015. It featured various speeches he made in 2013 and 2014, accompanied by music tracks of prayers and hymns.

HE STUDIED CHEMISTRY

Pope Francis “graduated as a chemical technician” before entering the priesthood.

He also obtained a degree in philosophy and theology from the Colegio de San José in San Miguel, and taught literature and psychology.

Pope Francis pets a dog at the Vatican in 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia

A PORTION OF HIS LUNG WAS REMOVED

At the age of 21, Pope Francis suffered from life-threatening pneumonia and developed three cysts. Part of his lung was excised to help combat the illness, prompting doctors to warn him avoid strenuous exercise for the rest of his life.

Originally published as Ten things you didn’t know about Pope Francis