Dec 11, 2013

Time magazine named Pope Francis its Person of the Year on Wednesday, crediting him with shifting the message of the Catholic Church while capturing the “imaginations of millions” who had become disillusioned with the Vatican.

: Time magazine on Wednesday named Pope Francis its person of the year, saying that in nine months in office the head of the Catholic Church had become a new voice of conscience. “For pulling the papacy out of the palace and into the streets, for committing the world’s largest church to confronting its deepest needs and for balancing judgment with mercy, Pope Francis is TIME’s 2013 Person of the Year,” wrote managing editor Nancy Gibbs.”Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly — young and old, faithful and cynical — as Pope Francis.

: Pope Francis greets members of the faithful as he makes his way around St Peter’s Square on March 19, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. The inauguration of Pope Francis is being held in front of an expected crowd of up to one million pilgrims and faithful who have crowded into St Peter’s Square and the surrounding streets to see the former Cardinal of Buenos Aires officially take up his position. Pope Francis’ inauguration takes place in front his cardinals, spiritual leaders as well as heads of states from around the world and he will now lead an estimated 1.3 billion Catholics. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

: Newly elected Pope Francis I, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, leads a a mass with cardinals at the Sistine Chapel, in a picture released by Osservatore Romano at the Vatican March 14, 2013. In his first public Mass, Pope Francis urged the Catholic Church on Thursday to stick to its Gospel roots and shun modern temptations, warning that it would become just another charitable group if it forgot its true mission. (Osservatore Romano/REUTERS)

: Pope Francis takes part in his inaugural mass in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican, March 19, 2013. Pope Francis celebrated his inaugural mass on Tuesday among political and religious leaders from around the world and amid a wave of hope for a renewal of the scandal-plagued Roman Catholic Church. (Paul Hanna/REUTERS)

: A general view during the Inauguration Mass for Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square on March 19, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. The mass is being held in front of an expected crowd of up to one million pilgrims and faithful who have filled the square and the surrounding streets to see the former Cardinal of Buenos Aires officially take up his role as pontiff. Pope Francis’ inauguration takes place in front of Cardinals and spiritual leaders as well as heads of state from around the world. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

: Argentina’s Jorge Bergoglio, elected Pope Francis I (C) appears at the window of St Peter’s Basilica’s balcony after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

: This handout picture released by the Press office shows Pope Francis (c), Argentina’s Jorge Mario Bergoglio, leading a mass at the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on March 14, 2013 a day after his election. Pope Francis and the cardinals who made him the first Latin American leader of the Catholic Church returned to the Sistine Chapel on Thursday, this time to celebrate mass together.(Osservatore Romano/AFP/Getty Images)

: This handout picture released by the Vatican press office on March 28, 2013 shows Pope Francis (R) kissing the feet of a young offender after washing them during a mass at the church of the Casal del Marmo youth prison on the outskirts of Rome as part of Holy Thursday. Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 young offenders including two girls at a Rome prison on Thursday in an unprecedented version of an ancient Easter ritual seen as part of an effort by the new pope to bring the Catholic Church closer to the needy. (Osservatore Romano/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis holds a dove before his general audience at Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican May 15, 2013. (Osservato Romano/REUTERS)

: Pope Francis kisses a boy as he arrives to celebrate the mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil’s most revered Catholic shrine, in Aparecida, Sao Paulo State, on July 24, 2013. The first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff is in Aparecida to lead his first big mass since arriving in the country for a week-long visit of which highlight is the huge five-day Catholic gathering World Youth Day. (Gabriel Buoys/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis (C) hugs a drug addict during his visit to the St. Francis Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 24, 2013. Pope Francis warned Catholics against “ephemeral idols” like money at his first public mass in his native Latin America as huge crowds lined the streets to cheer him. The first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff visited Aparecida to lead his first big mass since arriving in the country for a week-long visit of which highlight is the huge five-day Catholic gathering World Youth Day. (Observatore Romano/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis kisses a baby during his visit to the Varginha favela in Rio de Janeiro, on July 25, 2013. The Varginha favela is a community of 1,000 people which for decades was under the sway of narco-traffickers until it came under police control less than a year ago. The first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff arrived in Brazil mainly for the huge five-day Catholic gathering World Youth Day. (Luca Zennaro/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis poses for a picture with military policemen outside the Metropolitan cathedral in Rio de Janeiro on July 25, 2013. The first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff arrived in Brazil mainly for the huge five-day Catholic gathering World Youth Day. (Stefano Rellandini/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis addresses pilgrims on October 12, 2013 as he leads a prayer in front of Our Lady of Fatima in St. Peter’s square as part of a Marian Day event at the Vatican. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

: This handout picture released on October 17, 2013 by the Vatican press office shows Pope Francis (L) leading a mass at the Santa Marta church at the Vatican. (Observatore Romano/AFP/Getty Images)

: Italian President Giorgio Napolitano (R) and Pope Francis stand inside the courtyard of the Quirinale presidential palace ahead of their meeting in Rome on November 14, 2013 . (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

: Ceramic figurines of Pope Francis called “Caganers” are pictured during their presentation in Torroella de Montgri, near Gerona on November 15, 2013. Statuettes of well-known people defecating are a strong Christmas tradition in Catalonia, dating back to the 18th century as Catalonians hide caganers in Christmas Nativity scenes and invite friends to find them. The figures symbolize fertilization, hope and prosperity for the coming year. (Lluis Genelluis/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis looks at a Menorah offered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a private audience at the Vatican, on December 2, 2013. (Alessandra Tarantino/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis smiles at pilgrims in Saint Peter’s square at the Vatican, during the end of his weekly general audience on November 13, 2013. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis greets the crowd as he arrives for his general audience at St Peter’s square on December 11, 2013 at the Vatican. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP/Getty Images)

: Newly elected Pope Francis I, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, prays before an icon of Mary during a private visit to the 5th-century Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, in a photo released by Osservatore Romano in Rome March 14, 2013. Pope Francis, barely 12 hours after his election, quietly left the Vatican early on Thursday to pray for guidance as he looks to usher a Roman Catholic Church mired in intrigue and scandal into a new age of simplicity and humility. The Pope prayed before a famed icon of Mary, the mother of Jesus, which is known as the Salus Populi Romani, or Protectress of the Roman People. (Osservatore Romano/REUTERS)

: This handout picture released by the Vatican press office on March 23, 2013 shows “pope emeritus” Benedict XVI (R) greeting Pope Francis upon his arrival at the heliport in Castel Gandolfo. Pope Francis prepared to go face to face with his predecessor Benedict XVI on Saturday in a historic meeting between two men with very different styles but important core similarities. (Osservatore Romano/AFP/Getty Images)

: Italian President Giorgio Napolitano (R) talks with Pope Francis as he arrives for a meeting at the Quirinal Palace in Rome November 14, 2013. (Tony Gentile/REUTERS)

: Pope Francis (L) prays as he visits a chapel at the Quirinale Palace during a meeting with Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano (R) in Rome November 14, 2013 picture provided by the Italian Presidency Press Office. (Paolo Giandotti-Italian Presidency Press Office/Handout via Reuters)

: Pope Francis kneels as he leads a bishop ordination ceremony in Saint Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican November 15, 2013. (Tony Gentile/REUTERS)

: Pope Francis kisses a baby as he arrives to lead the weekly audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican June 19, 2013. (Stefano Rellandini/REUTERS)

: Pope Francis (R) shakes hands with Congo Republic President Denis Sassou-Nguesso as they exchange gifts during a private audience at the Vatican December 9, 2013. (Tony Gentile/REUTERS)

: Workers lift up a mosaic depicting Pope Francis before installing it at Saint Paul’s Basilica in Rome December 9, 2013. (Alessandro Bianchi/REUTERS)

: Newly elected Pope Francis I, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected by the conclave of cardinals, in a photograph released by Osservatore Romano at the Vatican, March 13, 2013. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out on Wednesday, signaling that Roman Catholic cardinals had elected a pope to succeed Benedict XVI. (Osservatore Romano/REUTERS)

: Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after being elected by the conclave of cardinals, at the Vatican, March 13, 2013. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang out on Wednesday, signaling that Roman Catholic cardinals had elected a pope to succeed Benedict XVI. (Max Rossi/REUTERS)

: Pope Francis arrives at the Spanish Steps for the celebration of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, 2013 in Rome, Italy. Following a tradition laid out by his predecessors, Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception by travelling to Spanish Steps where he venerated the statue named for the Marian Feast. The statue of the Immaculate Conception was consecrated on December 8, 1857 several years after the dogma which states that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin was adopted by the Church. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

: Pope Francis prays in front of the statue of the Immaculate Conceptionon at Spanish Steps December 8, 2013 in Rome, Italy. Following a tradition laid out by his predecessors, Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception by travelling to Spanish Steps where he venerated the statue named for the Marian Feast. The statue of the Immaculate Conception was consecrated on December 8, 1857 several years after the dogma which states that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin was adopted by the Church. (Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

ELIZABETH DILTS, Reuters

This is the third time the magazine has chosen a pope as its Person of the Year. In 1994, Time gave that honor to Pope John Paul II, and in 1963, to Pope John XXIII.

“In his nine months in office, he has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time: about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power,” TIME editor, Nancy Gibbs, wrote in an editorial on the magazine’s website.

The Pope beat out former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden and gay rights activist Edith Windsor for the award. Other finalists included Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas.

TIME’s Person of the Year: a look at Pope Francis in 2013

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