Pope Francis, blocked in an elevator, was rescued by firefighters

"I have to apologize for being late, I was stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes, there was a power outage and then the firemen came," said the smiling pontiff 82 years old.

"I was stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes, there was a blackout and then the firemen came," he said after this seemingly unprecedented incident for a pope. "Let's applaud the fire department," said François, triggering the cheers of the crowd.

Any health problem dismissed

The Argentine pope appeared seven minutes late on schedule, causing a start of questions about a possible health problem among the channels broadcasting the Angelus live.

François appears endowed with considerable energy despite his age, but he lost part of a lung in his youth, and his face sometimes expresses a grimace due to sciatica.