'Superhero' pope flying for a year

Pope Francis yesterday marked the first anniversary of his election in prayer and contemplation of the meaning of Lent, far from his adoring crowds and the controversies of Rome.

In keeping with Francis's tendency to eschew much of the pomp and ceremony associated with his role, the anniversary was not marked in any official way, with the exception of a solitary tweet from the official @Pontifex account.

"Please pray for me," the 77-year-old wrote to his 12million followers in nine languages, echoing an appeal he made in his first address from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica.

Here are some highlights of his first 12 months:

Pope rides in a minibus on day of his election

Hours after being elected, the Pope chose to ride in a minibus with his fellow cardinals, rather than summon his own limousine. It was one of the first signs that the style and tenor of his pontificate would be very different to that of Benedict XVI, who appeared to enjoy the trappings of office. Within the first few weeks of his papacy, Francis ditched the sleek cars used by his predecessor in favour of a Ford Focus.

He meets the ex-Pope

On March 23, days after his election, Francis travelled to meet his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, at the summer papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, outside Rome. It was the first time a reigning pope and a former pope had met for at least 600 years.

Francis washes the feet of a young Muslim woman

On March 28, two weeks after his election, the Pope washed the feet of 12 young offenders, including women and Muslims, in observation of an Easter ritual inspired by Christ washing the feet of his apostles. The gesture, on Holy Thursday, shocked some traditionalists.

He rides in a battered Jeep during a visit to Lampedusa

In July, the Pope made his first trip outside Rome, to the Italian island of Lampedusa after the deaths of thousands of migrants who died crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.

A crowd of 3million comes to welcome him in Rio

The new Pope's first foreign trip was to Brazil for World Youth Day, where he was given a rapturous reception. On the final day of the trip, at Copacabana beach, the Pope pulled a crowd of about 3million - more than the number that turned up for a Rolling Stones concert on the famous arc of sand.

That famous selfie photo

In August Francis appeared in what was hailed as the world's first papal selfie. He posed for a picture, taken on a smartphone, with a group of Italians visiting the Vatican on a pilgrimage. The image, taken inside St Peter's Basilica, was posted on social media and went viral.

Pope as superhero

He was depicted in a piece of graffiti that appeared overnight on a wall near the Vatican, flying with fist clenched, his cassock flying behind him and clutching a briefcase with the words "valores - values" on it.