From First Love to Pope: The Early Life of Pope Francis

Pope Francis, whose real name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, died on Monday at the age of 88 after suffering a brain stroke. His life story has brought attention to his first love from childhood. Jorge fell in love with a girl named Amalia Demonte, who lived nearby in Buenos Aires. After experiencing heartbreak, he chose to become a priest and went on to become the first Pope from Latin America.

Growing up in a family of Italian immigrants, Jorge worked different jobs like cleaning, working in a lab, and even bouncing at a nightclub while he studied chemistry. He had many spiritual moments during this time that led him to consider the priesthood. Despite wanting to start a family like everyone else, his heartbreak influenced his decision to serve the Church.

In his books and conversations, like “On Heaven and Earth” and “The Name of God is Mercy,” Pope Francis shared his youthful dreams and feelings. He remembered his love for Amalia, with whom he shared a special connection.

Amalia recalled how Jorge sent her a love letter when they were young. In it, he wrote about building a little wooden house for her, saying, “I will buy this when we get married.” He also made a promise: “If I do not marry you, I will become a priest.”

Unfortunately, Amalia’s parents were very strict and got angry when they found out about the love letter. They even destroyed the wooden house Jorge had built for her.