Father Joao Paulo, from Campina Grande, Brazil, met Pope Francis at the conclusion of the public meeting on Wednesday 26 May. After the end of the regular catechesis, the Pope received many people who apply whenever the opportunity arises.
In the case of the priest from the state of Paraíba, the request was made throughout the country: “Holy Father, pray for us, Brazilians”. However, Francisco’s response brought a surprise and a pleasant moment, he says CNN“You have no salvation,” he joked. “It’s a lot of cache and so little prayer.”
The moment, shared by a Brazilian Vatican journalist on Twitter and released by a Minas Gerais priest on Instagram, shows the Pope laughing after responding to the pastor. Laughter is also heard in the vicinity.
Father Joao Paulo told CNN what happened. “I was shattered at the time, because we always expect something formal and short. But then Pope Francis surprises us with his spontaneity, with his way of being affectionate. And then the meeting became very enjoyable, and very special,” he said, guaranteed after the joke, Francisco’s answer was different: ” I always pray for Brazilians. “
Father Carlos Henrique, who filmed the moment, justified the laughter he heard. “We laughed a lot because we really didn’t expect it. It was a very comfortable response. A joke from friends, a joke,” he said.
The priest also said that this is not the first time that Pope Francis has made jokes about Brazilians – because he is Argentine and there is a competition in football.
“The Pope is very relaxed. The first time I was with him, I said he was Brazilian and then he joked,“ I’m not blamed for that, I’m Argentinian and in football we are much better than you, ”he remembers.
It should also be remembered that at the end of this same general audience, Pope Francis accepted the tattoo Lydia Maximovich, Holocaust survivor.
