‘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...

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...