Pope Francis Moves The World Again

The actions of Pope Francis have touched many across the world and revitalised the Catholic church

But for Pope Francis, comforting this stricken man after today's weekly audience in St Peter's Square was another simple act of compassion.

In scenes strikingly similar to his encounter with the disfigured Vinicio Riva two weeks before, the pontiff first spoke with the worshipper and then put his arms around him, blessing him.

The man's identity is not known, nor are the details of what caused such terrible damage to his face.  

However, his delight at spending a few moments in the presence of the leader of the Catholic church can be imagined.

Francis, formerly Jorge Bergoglio, only took office eight months ago but his his iconoclastic style has already had a huge impact on the faithful.

He has made personal calls to distraught worshippers, invited the homeless to dine at St Peter's Square and washed the feet of young offenders. 

However, it was a meeting with Mr Riva, who is covered in growths caused by the incurable condition neorofibromatosis, which moved many to tears.

The Pope, once again in St Peter's Square for his general audience, put his hands on the 53-year-old Italian man, kissed, hugged and prayed with him. 

Speaking earlier this week, Mr Riva said the pontiff's hug was 'like paradise', adding: 'He didn't even think about whether or not to hug me. 

'I'm not contagious, but he didn't know that. But he just did it: he caressed me all over my face, and as he did I felt only love.'

Mr Riva recollected: 'He came down from the altar to see the sick people. He embraced me without saying a word. I felt as though my heart was leaving my body.

'He was completely silent but sometimes you can say more when you say nothing.'  

'First, I kissed his hand while with the other hand he caressed my head and wounds. Then he drew me to him in a strong embrace, kissing my face.

'My head was against his chest his arms were wrapped around me. It lasted just over a minute, but to me it seemed like an eternity.'

Earlier this year, Francis tweeted to his 3.2million followers: ’The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable.’

The so-called 'Pope Francis Effect' has been credited with a 20 per cent rise in Catholic congregations in Britain, and similar boosts around the world.

New and lapsed Catholics are surging back to the confession box 'by the hundreds or thousands', according to the Italian Centre for Studies of New Religions.

In Italy half of priests have noted a marked rise in support for the church.

The Italian opinion poll Opinioni reported this week that more than four in five Italians have a 'positive' or 'extremely positive' opinion of the Pope.

Spain, which had been experiencing a decades-long slump, has also seen attendance figures begin to climb since the pontiff's appointment. 

Catholic leaders in France, the USA and Latin America have also reported growth in the numbers of churchgoing Catholics.

And Latin America - already the biggest single source of Catholic pilgrims to Italy - saw numbers of pilgrims to the centre of the faith rise by 20 per cent from the same period last year