Papal infallibility showed it doesn't extend to slips and trips this week, as the Pope ended up with a black eye and a cut on his brow.
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis, aka the Pope was on a visit to Colombia when the incident happened, travelling through vast crowds in his Popemobile - a car designed to allow crowds to see God's representative on earth while keeping him safe at the same time. However, on this occasion, it was the very thing designed to keep Pope Francis safe that ailed him.
Credit: Storyful
Advert
Travelling through crowds (numbering in the thousands, at least) in the Colombian city of Cartagena, Pope Francis stumbled and hit his head on the Popemobile when the vehicle braked, causing blood to flow all over his cassock (look Mum, I remember the terms from Catholic school!). Fortunately, aides were on hand to assist the Pontiff (two in a row) and rushed to his aid (hence the name) immediately.
Francis later joked to reporters that he had been 'punched'. He suffered a bruise to his cheekbone and a cut above his left eye but was otherwise unharmed.
Credit: PA
Advert
Papal japes aside, Francis had a serious message for the gathered masses during the Catholic mass, which featured Caribbean and salsa music, which is a far cry from the 'Kumbaya' of my youth.
"If Colombia wants a stable and lasting peace, it must urgently take a step in this direction, which is that of the common good, of equity, of justice, of respect for human nature and its demands," he said during the mass's homily, which is a bit like the half time team talk in soccer ball, if you will.
"Only if we help to untie the knots of violence, will we unravel the complex threads of disagreements."
Advert
Credit: PA
Colombia's government and left-wing guerrilla group FARC signed a peace treaty to end the country's 52-year conflict in September 2016, but it was rejected by voters in a referendum the following month, with many viewing it as too conciliatory towards rebels who had waged war for over half a century. However, FARC formally ended its existence in June 2017, raising hopes that conflict between government forces and rebels could finally come to a lasting conclusion.
Seventy percent of Colombians identify as Catholic, making The Pope's visit all the more important to the South American nation, and his input on the recently ended conflict more than just a soundbite. Though Pope Francis has been criticised for his perceived silence on the brutality of his homeland Argentina's authoritarian military Junta during the late 1970s and 1980s, during his time as Pope he has been an outspoken critic of human rights violations around the world and praised for his willingness to tackle world issues head on.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: injury