He was a pope who understood the power of a simple touch: caressing the deformed head of a man in St. Peter’s Square, washing the feet of a Muslim prisoner, sinking to his hands and knees to implore South Sudan’s rival leaders to make peace.
Pope Francis charmed the world with those poignant acts of love, humility and informality, starting with his first appearance as pontiff on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica with a remarkably normal, “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) to his cheering flock below.
