Pope Francis breaks tradition on first window appearance

Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis delivered off-the-cuff remarks about god’s power to forgive instead of reading from a written speech for the first Sunday window appearance of his papacy.

He also spoke only in Italian — beginning with “buon giorno” (Good day) and ending with “buon pranzo” (Have a good lunch) — instead of greeting the faithful in several languages as his last few predecessors had done. His comments and humour delighted a crowd of more than 150,000 in St Peter’s Square, drawing cheers and laughter.

In just five days, Francis’ straightforward, spontaneous style has become immediate hallmark of his papacy. Earlier on Sunday, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican, startling passers-by and prompting cheers, before delivering a six minute homily — brief by church standards — at the Vatican’s tiny parish church.

Before he entered St Anna’s church to celebrate Mass, he heartily shook hands with parishioners and kissed babies.

After Mass, Francis put his security detail to the test as he waded into the street just outside St Anna’s Gate. As the traffic light at the intersection turned green, Francis stepped up to the crowd, grasping outstretched hands. The atmosphere was so casual that several people even gripped Francis on the shoulder.

A few minutes later as the traffic light turned red, Francis ducked back inside the Vatican’s boundaries to dash upstairs for the window appearance from the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.
Giant video screens were set up so the huge crowd could get a close-up look at Francis, and dozens of medical teams were on hand for any emergencies.

After the Mass, he stepped out from St Anna’s Church and then greeted the parishioners one by one. One young man patted the him on the back — an indication of the informality that has been evident from the first moment of his papacy.