On the 13th of December, 1969, just four days before his 33rd birthday, Jesuit seminarian Jorge Mario Bergoglio – who is now Pope Francis – was ordained priest by Archbishop Ramón José Castellano, Archbishop Emeritus of Córdoba, Argentina. 

That 13th of December, 52 years ago, was a Saturday, the eve of the third Sunday of Advent. In the liturgy of the Church this day is known as Gaudete or Joy Sunday, and many see this joy as the hallmark of Pope Francis’ pontificate, along with mercy. 

According to the book “The Jesuit: Conversations with Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio”, Francis discovered his vocation to the priesthood while on his way to celebrate Día de la Primavera. 

When he passed by the church in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Flores to go to confession, he received a special inspiration from the priest who welcomed him. 

On another occasion the Holy Father described his mother’s initial opposition to his decision to enter the priesthood, but she eventually came around, asking for his blessing at the end of his ordination ceremony. 

Jorge Mario Bergoglio continued his Jesuit training from 1970 to 1971 in Spain. On the 22nd of April 1973 he made his perpetual vows in the Society of Jesus. 

When he returned to Argentina he served as a professor and rector at the San José Faculty of Theology in the town of San Miguel, outside the city of Buenos Aires, and on 31 July, 1973, at the age of 36, he was appointed provincial of Argentina of the Jesuits. 

On the 20th of May 1992, St John Paul II appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Buenos Aires and he received his episcopal consecration on the 27th June of that year from the local Archbishop, Cardinal Antonio Quarracino. 

Bergoglio was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires on 3 June 1997. He took over the pastoral governing of the Archdiocese in February 1998, following the death of Cardinal Quarracino. 

Then, in the consistory of the 21st February 2001, he was made a cardinal by Pope St. John Paul II. 

As a cardinal he took part in the conclave that elected Benedict XVI in April 2005 and on 13th of March 2013 he was elected successor of Peter, assuming the name ‘Francis’.