‘Spider-Man’ meets the pope

An Italian man who dresses up like Spider-Man greeted Pope Francis during the pope’s Wednesday appearance at a local hospital.

Matteo Villardita, 28, who reportedly takes on the super-hero persona to lift the spirits of children who are hospitalized, asked Pope Francis to pray for the children and their families at the Vatican’s pediatric hospital this week, USA Today reported.

Villardita showed up in full costume and tapped Francis on the back of his arm and also gifted Francis a mask “as a sign, to tell him that through these eyes I daily see pain from sick children in hospitals,” the news outlet noted.

Francis was reportedly not wearing a mask to protect himself against COVID-19 at the time of the meeting.

“It was very exciting because Pope Francis immediately understood my mission.”

According to the Vatican, Villardita was described as “really a good super-hero.” He also reportedly made over 1,400 video calls to sick children, opposed to visiting in person, during the several months that Italy was in lockdown due to the pandemic.

During the Wednesday meeting, Villardita took photos with children who were in the audience in a Vatican courtyard, USA Today reported.