Elected on 13 March 2013, Francis was the first member of the Society of Jesus to be appointed pope. He was also the first non-European to hold the office since Gregory III (r. 731–741). Francis described his papal name as pointing to what he wants to emulate in Saint Francis of Assisi: to have a poor church for the poor, to always go out to the margins, and to show concern for the natural environment.
Francis' papal motto, Miserando atque eligendo ("by having mercy and by choosing"), contained a central theme of his papacy, God's mercy, which led to conflict with some Catholics on issues such as the reception of Communion by remarried Catholics.