Pope says he has a soft spot for old, ‘crafty’ ladies

Pope Francis has a weakness for elderly ladies, especially “crafty” ones, he said in an interview published in a new book of his sermons and speeches while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis has a weakness for elderly ladies, especially “crafty” ones, he said in an interview published in a new book of his sermons and speeches while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis embraces a woman during a Jubilee audience with people socially excluded in Paul VI hall at the Vatican. (Reuters)

“Sometimes I feel the urge to get out of the popemobile. And this often happens when I spot old ladies, especially the crafty ones,” Francis said in the interview.

“Old people speak to you with their stare,” said the pontiff, who turns 80 on December 17.

The book ‘In your eyes are my words’ hit Italian bookstores this week and is edited by the director of Italian fortnightly magazine ‘Civiltà Cattolica, Antonio Spadaro.

Presenting the book on Thursday at the Vatican, Spadaro said its title refers to Pope Francis’ need to look people in the eyes when he is talking to them.