Pope pays surprise visit to local opticians

The Pope visited an opticians in Rome for new glasses, yesterday evening.

Pope Francis paid a surprise visit to the optician to buy a new pair of glasses but insisted he would re-use his old frames and pay the bill himself.

The shop owner, Alessandro Spiezia, who has made eyeglasses for the Pope previously said he did not know that Francis would visit the shop in person as the glasses are usually delivered through Vatican aides.

Spiezia told Italian television: “He had told me to use the old frames again because he did not want to spend much money and insisted on paying for them.”

The Pope arrived with one of his secretaries and a driver and several police officers. He spent about thrity minutes in the shop while the optician spoke with him.

The Pope’s impromptu visit drew a large gathering of surprised tourists.