A pope takes the bus; who would have thought it possible! The election of Pope Francis was preceded by a revolution: the resignation of Benedict XVI. Andreas Englisch uncovers the background of this unprecedented event in the history of the papacy and describes what ultimately tipped the scales in the conclave for Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He provides an in-depth introduction to Francis, the first non-European on the throne, and offers insights into whether it will be possible to address the most pressing issues facing the Catholic Church and bring order to the Vatican City. Expanded edition from 2014.