The pope stated that the reason for his decision was his declining health due to old age. The conclave to select his successor began on 12 March 2013 and elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, who took the name of Francis.
Who is the leader of the Protestant Church?
Martin Luther, often called the father of Protestantism, fundamentally changed the Christian world through his force of will and new ideas. He tried passionately to reform the Catholic Church.