Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936, son of Italian migrants, the first of five children born in the working-class barrio of Flores. He qualified as a chemical technician, graduated in philosophy in 1963, became a priest since 1969, joined the provincial of the Jesuits of Argentina in 1973, was named auxiliary bishop in 1992, archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998, created cardinal in 2001, and on March 13, 2013 was Bishop of Rome and the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. He died on April 21, 2025.

Víctor Manuel Fernández is an Argentine cardinal of the Catholic Church and a theologian. He is the head of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith. He compiled, edited, and annotated The Private Diary of Pope Francis.