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Pope Francis has completed one year as the Roman Catholic Church's leader. Getty

Pope Francis has completed one year as the Roman Catholic Church's leader.

The former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who succeeded Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in March, took the name of Francis from St Francis of Assisi, saying that the founder of the Franciscan Order's devotion to the poor should work as an example for the whole Catholic Church from the top down.

In December, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was named Person of the Year for 2013 by Times magazine.

Here, IBTimes UK has gathered top ten memorable quotes he said in the last year.

  • "It is true that going out on to the street implies the risk of accidents happening, as they would to any ordinary man or woman. But if the church stays wrapped up in itself, it will age. And if I had to choose between a wounded church that goes out on to the streets and a sick, withdrawn church, I would definitely choose the first one."
  • "I like it when someone tells me 'I don't agree.' This is a true collaborator. When they say 'Oh, how great, how great, how great,' that's not useful."
  • "Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor."
  • "An example I often use to illustrate the reality of vanity, is this: look at the peacock; it's beautiful if you look at it from the front. But if you look at it from behind, you discover the truth... Whoever gives in to such self-absorbed vanity has huge misery hiding inside them."
  • "If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?"
  • "Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry."
  • "It hurts me when I see a priest or a nun with the latest model car, you can't do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world."
  • "And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being."
  • "Dear young people, don't be afraid to marry. A faithful and fruitful marriage will bring you happiness."
  • "To depict the pope as a sort of superman, a sort of star, seems offensive to me. The pope is a man who laughs, cries, sleeps tranquilly and has friends like everyone else, a normal person."