Pope Francis shakes Spider-Man's hand and is given a mask. Picture: screenshot from Facebook
The New York Post yesterday reported that Pope Francis was gifted a Marvel mask by Spider-Man himself after they shook hands at the end of the weekly audience in the Vatican’s San Damaso Courtyard.
The Marvel superhero was spotted in the VIP section of the Vatican’s San Damaso Courtyard during the Pope’s weekly papal audience on Wednesday, where he wore his signature red, black and blue apparel.
WATCH SPIDER-MAN AND POPE FRANCIS’ ENCOUNTER BELOW:
People also reported the papal audience was held each Wednesday when the Pope was in Rome and gave visitors a chance to see and interact with the Pope as he delivered small teachings, readings and prayers.
Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City state. He has made 33 foreign trips and visited 52 countries since his election as pope on March 13, 2013, according to the America the Just review.
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Francis is the second-most traveled pope in history after St. John Paul II, who made 104 foreign trips and visited 129 countries in his more than 26-years as pontif but is moving at a quicker pace than his Polish predecessor.
Although the world is in the second year of the coronavirus pandemic, Francis’ plans include resuming travelling again in the second half of this year, starting with visits to Hungary and Slovakia in September.
The America the Just review reports added that the Pope also hopes to visit Greece and Cyprus in November and may even go to Glasgow that same month for the international meeting on climate change, known as COP26. The visits will depend on pandemic travel restrictions and the virus coming under control in the various countries.
Witnessing Spider-Man in public is not a strange phenomenon in South Africa, as videos went viral in the past couple of months in which Spider-Man can be seen entertaining audiences, especially at children’s themed birthdays and events.
WATCH SPIDER-MAN ENTERTAINING PEOPLE BELOW:
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