Surprise visit to the record store: On Tuesday evening, Pope Francis drove to the music store of old friends in Rome to pick out a few records.
During his trip to the “Stereosound” store near the Pantheon, the avowed lover of classical music also blessed the premises after a recent renovation, according to Vatican circles.
The shop's owners have long been friends with the Argentine pontiff.
The eighty-five year old is a fan of classical composers, but also likes tango music. He left the store with a full-length record of classical music, a gift from the owner's daughter, Vatican News reported. A small crowd gathered outside the shop during the Pope's ten-minute visit. The Pope is an "old customer" who has been coming to the store since his appointment as cardinal in 2001, said owner Laetizia, according to Vatican News.
Francis is known for having a simpler life than his predecessors, including carrying his own briefcase, making his own phone calls and living in modest rooms at the Casa Santa Marta guest house.
In 2015, two years after he was elected head of the Church of the 1.3 billion Catholics worldwide, he visited an optician in central Rome to change his glasses.
The following year he went to a store to buy new orthopedic shoes.