'If I can't marry you, I'll become a priest'; love letter that marked Pope Francis's journey

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, later known as Pope Francis, was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father, Mario José Bergoglio, worked on the railways, and his mother, Regina Sivori, managed the household. As a child, Jorge lived on Membriller Street in Buenos Aires, where he developed a crush on a neighborhood girl named Amalia Damonte.

At age 12, Jorge wrote Amalia a letter, including a drawing of a small white house with a red roof. He wrote that if they married, they would buy such a house. He also told her, "If I don't marry you, I'll become a priest." Amalia thought the letter was childish and did not respond as Jorge had hoped. Her parents also found this letter following which they intervened to keep the two apart, and soon after, the Bergoglio family moved away. Amalia eventually married someone else, but she always remembered her childhood neighbor.

After finishing high school, Jorge studied at the University of Buenos Aires and earned a master's degree in chemistry. Later, he decided to become a priest and left his childhood memories behind. He was ordained in 1969 and eventually became Archbishop of Buenos Aires. On March 13, 2013, he was elected the 266th Pope, taking the name Francis, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis became known worldwide for his humility and dedication to the poor, marking a period of transformation for the Catholic Church.