Pope Francis on the balcony of St. Peter's the night of his election
Two popes: Pope Francis and his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who resigned February 11, 2013
Unconventional pope
Another image that shows Pope Francis' informal approach
Pope Francis visits the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, after hundred of migrants from Africa drowned while attempting to reach the island
Smiling pope
The first pope in history to be the subject of a selfie
Pope Francis kisses a small child
Pope Francis snuggles up with a baby lamb at a living nativity scene the day of the Epiphany outside a Rome church
Pope Francis frees a dove during his weekly general audience in St. Peter Square
On March 13, 2013, a year ago, the Argentinian Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope of the Catholic Church, taking the name of Francis. He almost immediately distinguished himself for his informal approach to the papacy and for his ability to revive the message of the Catholic Church throughout the world, something that has been called the "Pope Francis effect".
Here are some images we selected from his first year as pope to mark the anniversary of his election.
