Pope Francis named Time Person of the Year 2013

Time Magazine has named Pope Francis its person of the year. 

"He took the name of a humble saint and then called for a church of healing," Time wrote in its announcement. 

"The septuagenarian superstar is poised to transform a place that measures change by the century", it added.

The other five final contenders in the running for the prestigious honor were President of Syria, Bashar Assad, Texas Tea Party champion Senator Ted Cruz and gay rights activist Edith Windsor whose Supreme Court victory led to the fall of the Defense of Marriage Act.

The new Pope "comes at a time when the church seemed to be needing a huge burst of new energy," Time contributor, Howard Chua-Eoan, said in a video announcing the magazine's decision.

According to Time, Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, is known as a humble man, a capable administrator and -- as expected of a new Pope -- a man of great faith. He is also a man of many firsts: the first non-European Pope in the modern era; the first pontiff from South America; and the first Jesuit to be elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The title last year went to President Barack Obama, who also won in 2008 and in 2011, the respected news magazine awarded the title to the Protester, in recognition of their revolutionary role in the Arab Spring that year.