An angry Pope Francis scolds overzealous fan who almost knocked him down
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pope Francis is known for his kind, serene and compassionate nature. But there are times when even he loses his cool.
While greeting the faithful at a stadium in the western city of Morella during his five-day trip through Mexico, the pope was shaking hands and giving blessings when one overzealous fan took things a little too far.
A video of the event shows a pair of arms reaching out to grab the pope and not letting him go – even as his bodyguards tried to intervene. The 79-year old pontiff tipped over and fell onto a disabled child in a wheelchair.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A flash of anger appears on the face of the generally calm Francis and he reprimands the culprit twice in Spanish: “Don’t be selfish.”
Following the incident, Francis took a few steps back and addressed the crowd – asking them not to clump together.
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Francis has made a habit of being more open to the public than his predecessors. He has abandoned the bullet-proof Popemobile – first used after the attempted assassination of John Paul II in St Peter's Square in 1981 – in favor of open-top cars and has consistently walked into crowds to greet well-wishers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He has also taken a lighter view on his safety than his predecessors.
"It's true that anything could happen, but let's face it, at my age I don't have much to lose," he said, according to the Telegraph.
Francis wraps up his trip to Mexico on Wednesday with some of his most anticipated events: a visit in a Ciudad Juárez prison just days after a riot in another lockup killed 49 inmates and a stop at the Texas border when immigration is a hot issue for the U.S. presidential campaign.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He also scheduled a meeting with Mexican workers, grassroots groups and employers in an encounter at which he was likely to repeat his mantra on the need for dignified work for all and "land, labor and lodging."
Francis' final events cap a whirlwind five-day visit that focused heavily on the injustices faced by Mexico's poorest, most oppressed and vulnerable to the country's drug-fueled violence. He sought to offer comfort while taking Mexico's political and religious leaders to task for failing to do good for their people.
Francis also planned to visit the border with El Paso, Texas, where he was expected to stop at the fence, give a blessing in honor of migrants on the other side and pray for those who died trying to get there.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Associated Press contributed to this report.