'If I Don’t Marry You, I’ll Become A Priest': When A Young Pope Francis Failed In Love

Last Updated:April 22, 2025, 12:48 IST

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, fell in love with a neighbor in Buenos Aires. Heartbreak led him to the priesthood, becoming the first Latin American Pope

In his teenage years, Pope Francis fell in love with a girl named Amalia Demonte. (News18 Hindi)

Pope Francis passed away on Monday at the age of 88 due to a cerebral stroke. This has brought attention to his teenage romance. As a young man, he fell in love with a neighbor, but after experiencing heartbreak, he chose to become a priest, ultimately becoming the first Pope from Latin America. His tenure brought significant changes to the Church’s ways, workings, and dialogue.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, spent his youth in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Raised in an Italian immigrant family, his childhood and adolescence were spent in the capital, where he completed his schooling and earned a degree in chemistry.

During this period, he worked various jobs, including nightclub bouncer, chemical lab technician, and cleaning worker. It was also during this time that he had important spiritual experiences that inspired him to pursue the priesthood.

It is believed that his decision to become a priest was influenced by a heartbreak. Pope Francis himself has recounted in interviews and books, such as “On Heaven and Earth" and “The Name of God is Mercy," that he had normal desires in his youth, including love and thoughts of starting a family. However, a larger purpose of serving God and humanity eventually took precedence.

In his teenage years, Jorge fell in love with a girl named Amalia Demonte, who lived just four doors down in the quiet area of Membrillar Street in Buenos Aires. Decades later, Amalia recalled in an interview with the Associated Press that Jorge had written her a love letter, which caused her unexpected trouble.

Amalia remembered a small wooden house that Jorge built for her, with a red roof, inscribed with the words, “This is what I will buy when we get married." The love letter young Jorge wrote declared, “If I do not marry you, I will become a priest." Amalia admitted in the interview that these were merely childish sentiments.

The love letter fell into the hands of Amalia’s strict parents, who were very angry. She recounted to reporters that her mother broke the wooden house Jorge had made and confronted her about receiving letters from a boy.

Consequently, their parents did everything to keep them apart, leading to the Bergoglio family moving away from Membrillar Street. Amalia also moved on, eventually marrying and raising a family. Despite learning about Jorge’s rise within the Church, she did not try to reconnect.

Born to Italian immigrant parents in Buenos Aires, Pope Francis belonged to a close-knit family. Throughout his papacy, he emphasised humility over arrogance, charming the world with his humble style and concern for the poor.

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