Pope Francis plucks priest friend from the crowd and takes him for a ride on his Popemobile

Pope Francis has once again broken with papal protocol by inviting an old friend for a spin on his famous 'Popemobile' during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square.

The Reverend Fabian Baez, a parish priest in Francis' hometown of Buenos Aires, didn't have a VIP ticket granting him a seat close to the altar or a spot where the pope would chat with well-wishers.

But as soon as Francis saw Baez in the crowd of several thousand people as the priest called out 'Santo Padre', the pope signaled for Vatican gendarmes to help Baez jump the barricade.

The leader of catholic church "Pope Francis" was named Time’s “Person of the Year” on Wednesday.

Pope Francis was named Time’s “Person of the Year” on Wednesday.

The magazine says “with a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience.”