When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as Pope Francis in 2013, the world was immediately captivated by his charismatic personality, his simplicity, his sense of closeness and by the fresh and, frankly, unusual papal vocabulary he often employed.
From his first buona sera, his occasional mother-in-law jokes, to his use of symbolic imagery and his shoot-from-the-hip quips – some of which got him into trouble – Pope Francis was a soundbite machine.
While he became more scripted the longer his papacy went on, his frank and easy style of conversation, and his simple language and warm engagement with both members of the public and political leaders were among his most magnetic aspects after his election.
