A great silence reigned in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday after Pope Francis interrupted the General Audience for a few minutes to take a phone call.

During the last part of the General Audience on May 17, during the usual greetings to pilgrims of different nationalities, the secretary brought his cell phone close to Pope Francis.

The Pontiff was on the phone for about 4 minutes while the pilgrims and faithful following the Audience from their homes wondered about the reason for the interruption.

No further details about the call have emerged, and the Vatican has not offered any information.

This is not the first time that the Pontiff has been forced to stop a General Audience.

In October 2021, the Holy Father picked up the phone and conversed for about 30 seconds or so. It was also not known with whom or about what he dialogued with the person who called him.

Something similar happened on August 11, 2021, also after the General Audience in Paul VI Hall, when he conversed on the telephone for about two minutes. On that occasion, the Holy Father briefly left the hall and then returned to continue with the greetings.

This article was originally published on ACI Prensa.