Pope Francis was pictured on Wednesday embracing and kissing a severely disfigured man as he shut his eyes in prayer for the man. The Pontiff was
greeting pilgrims following his weekly public audience when the man
covered in neuronal tumors approached him, asking for a blessing.
The man suffers from a rare and painful disease called
neurofibromatosis, which causes boils, impaired vision and in some cases
cancer. The disease genetic and not contagious but patients who suffer from it are often shunned by society because of their appearance. The photos have gone viral and people are praising the pope for his compassion and kindness.