The Truth About The Time Pope Francis Worked As A Bouncer

Pope Francis took his papal name after St. Francis of Assisi, the saint known for devoting himself to the poor. But before he was known as Pope Francis of Vatican City, he was Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, a regular person with regular jobs. In 2013, shortly after his papacy began, the already-beloved Pope Francis endeared himself even more among parishioners from a church near Rome by sharing some of the jobs on his resume. 

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, reported that the pope told the group at the church of San Cirillo Alessandrino about his stint as a janitor responsible for keeping floors clean, working as a technician in food science laboratory, and, later, as a literature and psychology teacher, according to the LA Times. But nothing got as much attention on that list of occupations as his time as a bouncer at a nightclub. Dealing with rowdy Argentinian clubgoers seemed an unlikely path to the Vatican.

Since bouncers aren't exactly known for their inclusiveness, many were quick to note it's hard to imagine a gracious Pope Francis once being strict with the velvet rope. "What are we calling the off-beat dramedy about the Pope's past as a Buenos Aries bouncer? I'm going with 'Heaven Can Wait, And So Can You,'" Jon Favreau, a former speechwriter for President Barack Obama, posted on Twitter.

New York Magazine had fun with the revelation. Under the headline, "Pope Francis: World's Worst Bouncer," the publication imagined a conversation between the bar owner and the future pope regarding his standards for admitting people into the club. "Look, uh, Jorge, is it? I know it's your first day, but you need to be a little more discerning about who you let into the club. We're going for an 'exclusive, V.I.P.'-type vibe, and I'm seeing a lot of poorly dressed losers in here. Also a number of lepers," the owner complains. The magazine imagines Jorge replying, "Is not all of mankind deserving of respect? The street urchin and the nobleman alike are equally blessed by the Lord's grace." And then the owner fires him.