Walking with Jesus

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 1936, is the 266th pope of the Catholic Church, having been elected bishop of Rome and absolute sovereign of Vatican City. Throughout his life, both as an individual and as a religious leader, he has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths. Born in Buenos Aires as the son of Italian parents, he was ordained a priest in 1969. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI in February 2013, the papal conclave elected Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who chose the papal name Francis in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, the first from the southern hemisphere, and the first non-European pope since Pope Gregory III, 1,272 years earlier.

Paul Michael, winner of several Earphones Awards, has also won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has acted on stage, radio, television, and in feature films in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. He has had leading roles in series and made-for-television movies and has guest starred in such series as VIP and Alias. He has been nominated for a Canadian Emmy and has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including the international bestseller The Da Vinci Code.