Man in Spiderman outfit meets Pope at Vatican. What happened next

Matteo Villardita, with a costumed arm, reached out and touched Francis, who wore no mask against COVID-19, on the back on an arm as he greeted the pontiff.

While Pope Francis is usually the star at Vatican gatherings, Spider-Man, or at least an Italian who dresses up like the character, was the attention-grabber among the public lined up in rows during the pontiff’s weekly Wednesday audience. Matteo Villardita, 28, dons the comic-book and movie super-hero outfit to cheer up hospitalized children, like those at the Vatican’s pediatric hospital which he planned to visit later on Wednesday.