‘A maverick’: pope defies doctors’ orders with another surprise public outing

Dressed down pontiff visits St Peter’s Basilica, and is expected to appear at Easter Sunday mass Lorena Araujo Piñeiro, a restorer, was putting the finishing touches on the restoration of the 17th-century tomb of Pope Urban VIII, a dark bronze and gold monument in St Peter’s Basilica when she noticed a man wearing a striped poncho-like top, black trousers and no shoes, being pushed in a wheelchair towards her.“It was around noon and the basilica was practically empty,” said Piñeiro. “I struggled to recognise who it was … I thought he was a simple pilgrim. It was as if he’d just got out of bed.” Continue reading...

‘A maverick’: pope defies doctors’ orders with another surprise public outing

Dressed down pontiff visits St Peter’s Basilica, and is expected to appear at Easter Sunday mass

Lorena Araujo Piñeiro, a restorer, was putting the finishing touches on the restoration of the 17th-century tomb of Pope Urban VIII, a dark bronze and gold monument in St Peter’s Basilica when she noticed a man wearing a striped poncho-like top, black trousers and no shoes, being pushed in a wheelchair towards her.

It was around noon and the basilica was practically empty,” said Piñeiro. “I struggled to recognise who it was … I thought he was a simple pilgrim. It was as if he’d just got out of bed.” Continue reading...