In what’s been described as his first real encyclical, RtoZ News reports the picture of Pope Francis kissing and blessing a severely disfigured man, is going viral on social media.
Time calls the photo, “the most beautiful photo” and reminds readers that while we may not know the words the Holy Father prayed, calls the moment a living reminder of Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 8:1-4.
The pictures have also been compared with the work of St Francis of Assisi, after whom the pope took his name.
London’s Metro labels the occasion as “poignant and inspirational”, and The Guardian’s Jonathan Jones says Pope Francis is showing politicians the lost virtue of humility.
“We live in a world of image-conscious leaders, hair primped, faces artfully powdered, photo opportunities carefully devised.
“The art of image is generally assumed to be both modern and false: the term spin doctor was unknown in Britain before Tony Blair’s team made it part of the language.
“Yet for all the sophistication of modern political style, Pope Francis is showing by his superior example how tired, unconvincing and alienating such methods have become, wrote Jones.
Following his general audience last Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis kissed and blessed an unnamed man, whose face was covered in tumours, as he closed his eyes in prayer.
CNA reports the man is suffering from neurofibromatosis, an illness that can lead to impaired vision, learning impairment and can be extremely painful.
Treatment is complicated and sufferers face discrimination because of their appearance.
On Saturday, Pope Francis greeted hundreds of people in wheelchairs one-by-one — part of a special gathering in which rows of seats were removed from a Vatican auditorium to make room for the disabled visitors.
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