Lombardi: Pope Francis has special meeting with group of Nuns

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Wednesday visited Aparecida, where he celebrated Mass and had lunch with Bishops of and Seminarians in the Bon Jesús Seminary. When he returned to Rio, he visited the. St. Francis of Assisi of the Providence of God Hospital.

The director of the Holy See Press Office, Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, said one of the most touching moments was not officially on the schedule: Pope Francis met with a group of 30 nuns at the seminary for an unusual photo-op.

“This was not a classic group photo,” Father Lombardi said. “He began to talk with them. They were absolutely enthusiastic, crying and so on. They gave him books to sign, and the Pope began to sign. Then they began to embrace him, and kiss him. He accepted this, and every one of the nuns had a photo embracing and kissing the Pope…it was incredible, it was so happy, so spontaneous.”

Father Lombardi told Vatican Radio this is a typical response to Pope Francis.

“Someone said it was Latin American. Maybe it was Latin American, but it is human. Then at the end, the Pope said to the nuns, ‘I was Daniel in the lion’s [den]’ but he said this obviously with great sympathy and joy.”

Listen to the interview by Sean-Patrick Lovett with Father Lombardi: