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For several minutes, thousands of Churchgoers waited at St Peter’s Square in Vatican City on Sunday for Pope Francis to show up for weekly address, which usually starts at noon, but the Pope was nowhere to be found.

Anxieties and worries were in the air as people eagerly waited for the Pope but there was no Pope and no information for his whereabouts.

Finally, the window of the Apostolic Palace swung open and the sight of a smiling 82-year-old man, who turns out to be the long-awaited pontiff, sent relief across the crowd.

But why did the Pope show up late? The pope said he was trapped inside elevator!

“I must apologize for the delay,” Pope Francis said, explaining that there was a drop of voltage in the elevator, causing it to stop.

Pope told the crowd he was stuck in the elevator for 25 minutes, but intervention from firefighters saved him.

“Thank God the Fire Brigade came,” Francis said. “Let’s hear it for the Fire Brigade!”

The pope then proceeded with his routine prayers and blessings. He ended his remarks with an announcement that 13 church members have been elevated to cardinals.

It was not clear whether the Pope was inside the malfunctioning Vatican elevator by himself or with some people, as the Pope did not say.

The incident occurred barely days after a man was crushed to death by a malfunctioning elevator in a New York building. Details and video through this link.