Poppycock about the Papacy and Europe

What is all this trash I hear about Francis being the first bishop of Rome not from Europe since our local guy, Peter?

Absolutely false!

CNN (of all sources) has it right:

The last time someone from outside Europe led the Roman Catholic Church was the year 741. That's when Pope Gregory III, born in Syria, ended his 10-year reign.

Before him, there were popes from Bethlehem (St. Evaristus, from 97 to 105), Jerusalem (Pope Theodore I, from 642 to 649) and modern-day Libya (Saint Victor I, from 189 to 199).

And, of course, the church counts Peter, disciple of Jesus from [the Galilee], as the first pope.

Several other Syrians have also served as pontiff.

From HERE, though they are also missing two of the three African Popes: Gelasius I and Miltiades.