Rome, Italy, Mar 15, 2013 / 10:38 am
He thought it was a joke. The young doorman at the Jesuit motherhouse in Rome never expected to receive a phone call from Pope Francis.
The Holy Father had to patiently and kindly convince the doorman who he was in order to speak with the Father General of the Jesuits to thank him for a letter the Pontiff received upon his election.
According to Father Claudio Barriga, SJ, who recounted the incident in an email to fellow Jesuits around the world, the unexpected phone call from Pope came around 10:15 a.m. Rome time on Thursday.
"The doorman answered the phone. They said it was call from St. Martha's Residence and he heard a soft and serene voice: 'Buon Giorno, sono il Papa Francesco, vorrei parlare con il Padre Generale (Good morning, it's Pope Francis. I'd like to speak with the Father General).'"