The Simple Thing Pope Francis Did to a Severely Disfigured Man That Has Captivated the World
Pope Francis took the time Wednesday to do one simple thing that has now captivated the globe: He embraced and prayed with a man covered in tumors in St. Peter's Square.
The encounter between the pontiff and the unnamed individual reportedly took place after Francis addressed his general audience, when the man approached the Catholic leader and asked to be blessed.
Credit: EPA
The man reportedly suffers from neurofibromatosis, which according to the Mayo Clinic is a "genetic disorder that disturbs cell growth in your nervous system, causing tumors to form on nerve tissue." It is not contagious.
While individuals with neurofibromatosis are sometimes shunned because of their appearance, Francis wasted no time kissing the man's face, embracing him and offering up a blessing.
Credit: EPA
The response to the pontiff's action was strong, with The Washington Post noting that it reminded some of Matthew 8, a Bible chapter in which Jesus heals a leper. And there's also his namesake St. Francis Assisi, the 13th century Catholic friar who was said to have once kissed a leper.
Credit: EPA
Among those commending the pope was the star of "The Middle" and "Everybody Loves Raymond," actress Patricia Heaton. Heaton, a Christian, tweeted, "How much do I love (Pope Francis)? SO much."
Credit: EPA
We will be discussing this story and all the day's news on our live BlazeCast with Editor-in-Chief Scott Baker (@bakerlink) beginning at 2:00 pm ET:
Here are some of the other responses floating around Twitter:
Pope Francis kisses a man plagued with boils. He reminds me of a Jewish Carpenter from Nazareth. http://t.co/UbIAUr6ZUl
November 7, 2013 9:12am via PinterestReplyRetweetFavorite
The Wineskins
Picture of the year. Makes u think how lucky some of us are.Pope Francis kisses & hugs disfgured man http://t.co/Ikw8oa9Zzw via @MailOnline
November 7, 2013 9:10am via Tweet ButtonReplyRetweetFavorite
jaspermoss
A touching picture showing the love of Christ: Pope Francis kisses severely disfigured man http://t.co/92xhMngCAo
November 7, 2013 9:07am via iOSReplyRetweetFavorite
Tamala Irish
Ladies and gentleman: the Gospel: "Pope Francis Kisses Severely Disfigured Man & Prays With Him" http://t.co/u2eOdLDyH0
November 7, 2013 9:00am via BufferReplyRetweetFavorite
Paul Burkhart
Pope Francis is the Pontiff I've been waiting for!!! Love this man http://t.co/cmyQ7bqF4k
November 7, 2013 8:55am via webReplyRetweetFavorite
Sunni
Pope Francis has repeatedly tweeted and spoken out about the importance of caring for the poor and infirm. It seems he's putting his words into action.
(H/T: Daily Mail)
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