Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Francis’ informal style, straightforward approach and sense of humour have been winning over people across the globe since his election and now his Pontificate is getting even more personal.

A small number of strangers in Italy have received Papal phone calls on their landlines out of the blue after writing to him or suffering some personal tragedy.

Most recently a surprised a 19-year old Italian student with a phone call last week in response to his letter.

Stefano Cabizza from near Padua in Northern Italy wrote to the newly-elected pontiff a few weeks earlier about his fears about finding a job following graduation.

Assuming the Pope would not be able to read the letter, Mr Cabizza was surprised to have an eight-minute telephone conversation from him when he arrived home from university. He was even more surprised to learn that the Holy Father had called him earlier that day and was calling again to catch him.

Pope Francis has been defined by his ‘humility and closeness to ordinary Catholics.’

Yet, it was still a surprise for Mr Cabizza to not only laugh and joke with the Pope but also address the Pope as ‘tu’ instead of the more formal ‘lei.’

“He said with me, do you think the Apostles would have used the polite form with Christ?” Mr Cabizza said. “Would they have called him your excellency?”

“They were friends, just as you and I are now, and with friends I’m accustomed to using ‘tu.’”

Since the election, the Pope has called his neighbourhood newsagent to cancel his daily papers and his shoemaker to keep sending his black orthotic loafers to the Vatican.

He has also called an Italian man whose brother was killed and a Colombian woman who works in Rome to thank her for a book.

Mr Cabizza’s conversation with the Pope has led to columnists in Italy giving advice on how to cope with surprise phonecalls with the Pope.

Beppe Severgnini of Corriere della Serra suggested that ordinary Italians do not ask for favours or share thoughts on Vatican policy, instead asking how his predecessor Benedict XVI is doing or his thoughts on the recent Italy v Argentina football friendly.

“Just be natural,” Mr Severgnini added. “If he wanted to get bored, he would have called a Government minister.”