When Pope Francis arrived late for his weekly Angelus message Sunday, he did not blame traffic but told the crowds he had been trapped in the papal elevator for 25 minutes.

“First of all, I have to apologize for the delay, but there was an accident: I was stuck in the elevator for 25 minutes!” the pontiff told the crowds gathered in Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

“There was a drop in voltage and the elevator stopped,” the pope said. “Thank God the firefighters came – thank you so much! – and after 25 minutes of work they managed to get it running.”

“A round of applause for the Fire Department!” he said.

The pope normally begins his Angelus address with remarkable punctuality, so crowds were understandably anxious when he failed to arrive for his weekly appointment.

Francis then moved on to his normal address and prayer, ending his remarks by announcing that he had selected another 13 prelates to become cardinals.

The pope said he would elevate the chosen candidates to the rank of cardinal this October.

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