The sight of the pontiff shaking fingers with the web-slinger would understandably make most individuals do a double take… nevertheless it seems the customer wasn’t Peter Parker in any respect – it was an actual life superhero.

The Pope would have felt the Vatican was in secure fingers on Wednesday when the pleasant neighbourhood Spider-Man swung by after the pontiff’s weekly viewers.

Those visiting the holy metropolis would have been forgiven for considering the web-slinger had arrived to avoid wasting Pope Francis from Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, Kingpin or the Green Goblin.

But the extra observant amongst them would have seen it wasn’t Peter Parker who was paying a go to to St Peter’s Square.

The costumed arrival who seemed to be Spider-Man was in actual fact an actual life superhero – a person named Mattia Villardita who visits paediatric hospitals in Italy to entertain youngster sufferers.

Mr Villardita, who had eliminated his masks to disclose his true id, bowed as he shook the pontiff’s hand within the sq. reverse St Peter’s Basilica.

The Pope smiled and spoke enthusiastically to Mr Villardita earlier than they parted methods.

The pontiff had earlier delivered a joint blessing with the Orthodox Coptic Pope Tawadros II to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of a historic assembly of their predecessors.