To celebrate the Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, Pope Francis decided to leave the Vatican for a bit, to have lunch just across the street in the Jesuit Curia offices in Rome.
As shown in these pictures, he was welcomed by the Order's Superior General, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, who interestingly is referred to as the 'black Pope' because of his high responsibility and color of his vestments. ;
Whoever was walking around the area, tourists included unexpectedly got to see Pope Francis up close.
The lunch was carried out in the Jesuit Curia's main dining hall, where the Pope seemed to be enjoying both the food and the conversation.
Afterward, he took a series of group pictures, including one with kitchen staff. Then, he made his way to the local chapel, where he stopped for a few moments to pray, before getting a personal tour.
It wasn't all fun and games. The Pope also met with the siblings of the Jesuit priest, Fr. Paolo Dall'Oglio, who was kidnapped in Syria over a year ago. There's been no news on his whereabouts ever since. The Pope met with them in private to offer some words of comfort.
