Pope Francis isn’t afraid to try out new styles.
While greeting Catholics and media on Monday at Tokyo’s Cathedral of Holy Mary, Francis was gifted a pink-and-blue traditional coat called a “happi” by young Japanese attendees.
The gift had an extra special something, though — an anime version of the head of the Catholic church himself.
In a series of photos, the 82-year-old sports a wide smile as he’s presented the colourful garment.
READ MORE: Pope Francis advocates for abolishing nuclear weapons as he visits Japan’s bombed cities
Never afraid to try something new, per his generally unorthodox acts when it comes to Catholicism, he slipped into the article of clothing. It fit him perfectly.
The coat features cherry blossoms, a national symbol of Japan, as well as phrases in Japanese and the Pope’s native language of Spanish.
“Gratitude,” “let’s pray together,” “may there be peace,” “what can be done to give disaster victims hope” and “we are glad that you’re the pope” can be read on the coat.
The pontiff from Argentina was given the gift during his four-day visit to Japan starting Nov. 23, marking his second papal visit to the country.
There are around 536,000 Catholics in Japan, but the Asian countries with the largest population of Catholics are the Philippines, India, China, South Korea and Vietnam.
The gift certainly provided some comic relief for the trip that was focused on raising awareness of the anti-nuclear weapon movement Pope Francis is behind.
During his visit to Nagasaki, he condemned the “unspeakable horror” of nuclear weapons. The city is one of two decimated by American atomic bombs at the end of the second world war.
Speaking to hundreds of people on Sunday in the city’s atomic bomb hypocenter, he said: “Convinced as I am that a world without nuclear weapons is possible and necessary, I ask political leaders not to forget that these weapons cannot protect us from current threats to national and international security.”
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“In a world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions, the money that is squandered and the fortunes made through the manufacture, upgrading, maintenance and sale of ever more destructive weapons, are an affront crying out to heaven,” Pope Francis continued.
Earlier that day, the spiritual leader prayed and placed a wreath at the memorial to honour the 74,000 lives lost when the U.S. dropped a nuclear bomb on the city on Aug. 9, 1945.
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