Tuesday marked the beginning of Pope Francis' long-awaited tour of the United States, an event that has many excited, even the non-Catholics. Francis has proven popular for his progressive ideals and support of social justice.

Here are five facts that will help acquaint you with Pope Francis to better understand why his arrival and impending address to Congress gives cause for excitement.

1. Pope Francis was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, making him the first Pope from the Americas and the first non-European Pope since Gregory III of Syria held the position from 731-741. His birth name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio.

2. Despite being from Latin America, Pope Francis is of Italian descent. His family left Italy in 1929, escaping Benito Mussolini's fascist regime.

3. Francis is known for his overwhelming commitment to helping the poor. As Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was known as the "Slum Bishop," as he doubled the number of priests assigned to aid impoverished neighborhoods.

Even his title reflects his social conscience, as he became the first Pope to name himself after St. Francis of Assisi, who Francis reveres as a man of poverty and peace.

Francis called on the United Nations to pay particular attention to the world's economic disparities. "In the case of global political and economic organization, much more needs to be achieved, since an important part of humanity does not share in the benefits of progress and is in fact relegated to the status of second-class citizens," he said.

4. There were two major events in Francis' life that could have prevented him from ever reaching the Vatican.

At 21, Francis nearly died from complications of pneumonia and consequently had a lung removed.

Another time, the then-seminarian Francis nearly revoked his vow of celibacy when he fell in love with a woman at his uncle's wedding.

"I kept thinking and thinking about her," said the Pope in a book published in 2013. "When I returned to the seminary after the wedding, I could not pray for over a week because when I tried to do so, the girl appeared in my head. I had to rethink what I was doing."

Francis maintained that it was a matter of discipline not of faith, and that those who could not stay true to their vows weren't fit for priesthood.

5. Francis adamantly supports interfaith dialogue, even when it comes to the non-faithful. He puts more emphasis on good conscience, than on belief, and says that all who do good can be redeemed in God's eyes, regardless of their personal beliefs.

In response to newspaper founder Eugenio Scalfari, the Pope wrote, "You ask me if the God of the Christians forgives those who don't believe and who don't seek the faith. I start by saying -- and this is the fundamental thing -- that God's mercy has no limits if you go to him with a sincere and contrite heart. The issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience."