Pope Francis gave the world yet another glimpse into the profound charity of his Franciscan namesake when he gave a teen with Down Syndrome a ride on his Popemobile.

The Associated Press is reporting that 17 year-old Alberto di Tullio from Boiano, Italy got the ride of his life when Pope Francis spotted him in the crowd in St. Peter’s Square yesterday.

“The pope saw him, embraced him,” said the boy’s father, Celestino di Tullio. “Then Alberto pointed to the car, and so he brought him up!”

The two proceeded to take a spin around St. Peter’s Square in the open-top Mercedes more famously known as the “popemobile”, much to the delight of the tens of thousands of people who looked on.

Some are speculating that Antonio caught Francis’ eye because he was wearing the blue-and-white-striped jersey of the Argentine national soccer team, a gift the boy received from his parish priest in Boiano on Wednesday morning, just before the family set out for Rome.

Little did any of them know at the time that their visit would include a heartwarming moment seen around the world!

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Photo by Tiziana Fabiti / AFP / Getty Images