One is the head of a church
preaching inclusion, peace and kindness. The other is a stone-faced person who
tells people they are ‘not coming in’.
So it may come as a surprise to
learn that before becoming the Pontiff, Pope Francis was a nightclub bouncer.
The 76-year-old has been outed as a
doorman who used to keep troublemakers out of a bar in Buenos Aires when he was
a student.
He has embraced and blessed
disfigured followers, allowed a child to clutch his side as addressed a crowd
and repeatedly proved himself to be an accessible Pope with the common touch.
His inclusive approach is a far cry
to the surly doormen who keep out partygoers from getting into bars.
Francis, the 266th pope, later
taught literature and psychology, which he credits as teaching him how to get
people back into the church, Catholic News reported.
The revelation into his past came
as he informally chatted with parishioners when he visited a church in a
working-class neighborhood in Rome.
Sitting with them, he spoke of how
he realised his true vocation was serving the church after he confessed to a
priest he had never met before.
He is a fan of the passionate tango
dance and had a girlfriend he danced with before he became a priest, Gazetta Del Sud reported.
It follows today’s claims that
Francis has been sneaking out of the Vatican at night to give money to the poor
on the streets of Rome.
The speculation that the Pontiff
has been visiting the poor under the cover of darkness comes after an interview
with Archbishop Konrad Krajewski, whose role includes distributing money from
the Holy See to the poor.
Pope Francis spoke to people about his youth and vocation when he visited a working-class neighborhood in Rome |
He said Pope Francis – who as
archbishop of Buenos Aires went out at night to visit the needy – had often
expressed a desire to accompany him on his nocturnal missions.
Although he refused to confirm or
deny whether the pope has accompanied him, many will see a refusal to comment
as admission that Francis is heading out on the streets to anonymously give
alms.
Since being elected to the Holy See
earlier this year, the pontiff has made headlines around the world by washing
the feet of juvenile delinquents, personally calling distraught worshipers on
the phone and inviting homeless people to dine at St Peter’s Square.
Adapted From Mail Online
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