▁appearing ▁as ▁the ▁only ▁other ▁vi able ▁candidate . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁from ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁from ▁the ▁Southern ▁Hem is phere . ▁Many ▁media ▁reported ▁him ▁as ▁being ▁the ▁first ▁non - Europe an ▁po pe , ▁but ▁he ▁is ▁actually ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ; ▁the ▁previous ▁was ▁Gregory ▁III ▁from ▁Sy ria , ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁ 7 4 1 . ▁Moreover , ▁although ▁Francis ▁was ▁not ▁born ▁in ▁Europe , ▁he ▁is ▁eth n ically ▁European . ▁ ▁As ▁po pe , ▁his ▁manner ▁is ▁less ▁formal ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁immediate ▁prede cess ors : ▁a ▁style ▁that ▁news ▁coverage ▁has ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" no ▁fr ills ", ▁not ing ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁" his ▁common ▁touch ▁and ▁access ibility ▁that ▁is ▁prov ing ▁the ▁greatest ▁insp iration ." ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁his ▁election , ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁bus ▁back ▁to ▁his ▁hotel ▁with ▁the ▁card inals , ▁rather ▁than ▁be ▁driven ▁in ▁the ▁pap al ▁car . ▁The ▁next ▁day , ▁he ▁visited ▁Card inal ▁Jorge ▁María ▁Me j ía ▁in ▁the ▁hospital ▁and ▁ch atted ▁with ▁patients ▁and ▁staff . ▁At ▁his ▁first ▁media ▁audience , ▁the ▁Saturday ▁after ▁his ▁election , ▁the ▁Pope ▁said ▁of ▁Saint ▁Francis ▁of ▁Ass isi : ▁" The ▁man ▁who ▁gives ▁us ▁this ▁spirit ▁of ▁peace , ▁the ▁poor ▁man ", ▁and ▁he ▁added ▁"[ h ] ow ▁I ▁would ▁like ▁a ▁poor ▁Church , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁poor ".