A record store in Rome got an unexpected visitor Tuesday evening: Pope Francis in his cassock.
The director of Rome Reports news agency, Javier Martinez-Brocal, told AP that while he was out Tuesday evening, he stopped short, noticing a white Fiat 500 with Vatican license plates and police cruisers parked outside of a record store.
Hoy iba por la calle y me he encontrado con el Papa en una tienda de discos. Tal cual. https://t.co/HQHibeATs0 pic.twitter.com/Og49TAKV3Z
— Javier Martínez-Brocal (@javierMbrocal) January 11, 2022
The reporter quickly snapped a video of Pope Francis leaving the shop after a 12-minute visit. When he left, it wasn't empty-handed. Owners gave him an undisclosed classical music CD after the unexpected visit.
Tiziana Esposito, the daughter of the shop's owners told Martinez-Brocal's agency that since Pope Francis was a cardinal, he has made many visits to this shop. When the owners visited the Vatican, the Pope promised to return.
Pope Francis is a known music lover, listening to opera and tango music frequently on his radio at home in Argentina. He has said Mozart "lifts you closer to God."