'Thou shalt not wear trainers!' - Pope Francis reveals he worked as a bouncer in Buenos Aires

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

As career changes go it could scarcely be more dramatic.

From working the doors at a bar in Buenos Aires - to being the head of the Roman Catholic church worldwide and spiritual leader to its 1.2 billion members.

Pope Francis has talked to followers on a walkabout in a working class suburb of Rome about his working life before becoming Pontiff.

The 76-year-old gave the insight into his past as he chatted with Catholics on a visit to a church. He also talked about how he worked sweeping floors in a chemical laboratory as a teenager.

According to the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis spent four hours chatting to followers at the church of San Cirillo Alessandrino after celebrating Mass on Sunday.

During the informal chat with followers the 266th Pope revealed that as student he worked in a bar and also did some work as a bouncer.

The revelation about Pope Francis' past comes amid what has been dubbed the 'Francis Effect. The new Pope has been credited with increasing the size of congregations in Britain by 20 per cent.

The Pope's popularity is largely thought to be a result of his humble demeanor and his eschewing of the sometimes grand Papal lifestyle. Pope Francis has also made repeated statements calling for the church to focus on the poor.