VATICAN CITY (AP) — He was a pope who understood the power of a simple touch: caressing the deformed head of a man in St. Peter’s Square, washing the feet of a Muslim prisoner, sinking to his ...

the 13th century friar known for personal simplicity, a message of peace, and care for society’s outcasts and nature. Francis sought out those who suffer: the unemployed and sick, the disabled ...

Francis endeared himself to millions with his simplicity when he spoke minutes after his election as Pope on March 13, 2013. “Brothers and sisters, good evening,” were his first words from the ...

VATICAN CITY (AP) — He was a pope who understood the power of a simple touch: caressing the deformed head of a man in St. Peter’s Square, washing the feet of a Muslim prisoner, sinking to his hands ...

It wasn’t a gimmick. If his election as the first Latin American and first Jesuit pope wasn’t enough, Francis also was the first to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th century friar ...