Cool Pope Francis Hosts Pizza Party for the Homeless

After Mother Teresa was officially declared a Saint on Sunday, Pope Francis opted to celebrate in true cool Pope fashion: with a huge pizza party for the homeless. NDTV reports that, shortly after hailing Mother Teresa “as the personification of maternal love and a powerful advocate for the poor,” the 79-year-old pontiff toured St. Peter’s square via open-topped jeep. And, because no party is complete without it, he then doled out pizza to all the revelers.

Among those those celebrating the canonization were “1,500 people from shelters run by the Italian branches of Saint Teresa's order,” all of whom acted as Pope Francis’s guests for the pizza lunch, which was served by local nuns and priests. Teresa, who was canonized largely because of her work with the poor, surely would have appreciated the gesture.

According to Rome Reports, three ovens were installed specifically for the celebration, which took place in an audience hall within the Vatican. Francis met with the pizzaioli (the Italian term for those who make the pizza) before the special event got underway.

Though he’s known for a pretty austere lifestyle, Francis has expressed an interest in pizza in the past. While visiting New York, the Pope said he wanted to try a slice of the local specialty. Sadly, he was on a strict diet at the time, so no pizza was had.

• A Giant Pizza Lunch For The Homeless After Mother Teresa's Canonization [NDTV]

• Pope Francis Is on a Diet, but He’d Like to Try New York Pizza [E]

• All Pope Coverage [E]