For these historical and geographical reasons, many popes where born in pre-unitary Italian states, in the Kingdom of Italy, or in the Republic of Italy after 1946. The Pope receives his authority because he is the Bishop of the Diocese of Rome. The current Pope, Francis, from Argentina, is the third Pope in a row not to have been born in Italy, after John Paul II (1978–2005) from Poland and Benedict XVI (2005–2013) from Germany. Pope Francis was, however, born into a Italian Argentine family.