A Rare Sight and Historic Meeting,Pope Francis with Benedict XVI

POPE Francis travelled south of Rome to have lunch with his “brother” and predecessor Benedict XVI in a historic meeting yesterday.

The two men dressed in white embraced warmly on the helipad in the gardens of Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict has been living since he stepped down on 28 February, becoming the first pope to resign in 600 years.

When they entered the chapel inside the palazzo to pray, Benedict tried to direct Francis to the papal kneeler at the front of the chapel, but Francis refused. “No, we are brothers,” Francis told Benedict,

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said the atmosphere for the entire visit, which lasted just under three hours, was "family-like"They clasped hands repeatedly, showing one another the deference owed a pope in ways that turned Vatican protocol upside down.

Benedict made clear that he considered Francis to be the Pope while Francis made clear he considered his predecessor to be very much a ­revered brother and equal.