Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, was elected pope on March 13, 2013, making him the first pope from the Jesuit religious order, whose watchword is to find God “in all things.”

In his first audience with journalists, three days later, he hinted at his agenda: "Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor." He also mentioned the necessity of caring for “creation,” foreshadowing his focus on environmental issues.

But in a telling shift from his predecessors, he has not emphasized the sexual and doctrinal issues — such as abortion, same-sex marriage and contraception — that had long dominated the church’s public policy priorities.

When he has spoken about homosexuality, he has tended to take a pastoral approach, calling on the church to love and care for all. Yet there is also plenty of evidence that Pope Francis stands firmly on church teachings on the traditional family and opposing same-sex marriage.

Here is a timeline of the pope's statements on these divisive subjects.