Is Pope Francis Still Sneaking Out at Night to Feed and Give Money to the Poor?

While archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis was reportedly known for sneaking out at night to feed the homeless and distribute alms to the poor. Now some are wondering if he ever quit.

The revelations were brought to light during a Thursday interview with archbishop Konrad Krajewski, who is the Vatican Almoner — a centuries old post charged with distributing goods to the poor.

Pope Francis greets the faithful at the end of his visit at the Parish Church of St. Cirillo Alessandrino, in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

When Krajewski was asked if Pope Francis had ever accompanied him on one of his evening trips, the Polish archbishop grew silent.

"Next question, please," he said with a cryptic smile, according to The Irish Independent.

Krajewski, however, noted that the Pope does indeed possess a strong desire to accompany him on his trips.

"When I say to him 'I'm going out into the city this evening,' there's the constant risk that he will come with me," he reportedly said. "That's what he's like – at the beginning (of his papacy) he didn't think of the awkwardness that he might create."

Before he became Pope he "would go out at night ... to find people, talk with them, or buy them something to eat. He would sit with them and eat with them on the street," Krajewski reportedly added.

[sharequote align="center"]"..[The Pope] would go out at night...to find people, talk with them, or buy them something to eat."[/sharequote]

According to The Irish Independent, "The implication was that the South American Pope, who has described himself as a priest of the streets, had snuck out of the walled city state on at least one occasion, before Vatican authorities told him it was too grave a security threat."

On Thursday, Krajewski also highlighted Pope Francis' envision for his post as Vatican Almoner.

“The Holy Father told me at the beginning: ‘You can sell your desk. You don’t need it. You need to get out of the Vatican. Don’t wait for people to come ringing. You need to go out and look for the poor,’” Krajewski reportedly said.

In early November, the Pope captivated the world after he embraced a severely disfigured man covered in boils.

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