Gossip about Pope Francis: Tidbits from Rome

I completely forgot this gossip I heard about Pope Francis from a (priest) I know who has a Ph.D. from my program and I ran into at the conference this past fall:

Basically, he says an audience with Pope Francis is the hottest ticket in Rome, and no matter how you pull connections, it's tough to get one, and the people who manage are street sweepers and busboys and whatnot.

Clerics in Rome are also talking a lot about his advice that if you're driven by career, just resign and go work in a rural area and get your priorities straightened out.

There's also a rumor that Pope Francis has donned a black cassock a few times and gone out in Rome at night, including to try the pasta at this one small restaurant with a reputation for good pasta, and when he was there he sat with his back to the dining room so no-one would see him.

Also, people say when Pope Francis looks at you, it's like a spotlight and you're the only person alive, and he's fully present with you and you have his full attention.

"Not like John Paul II at all," he said, speaking from experience.  "I met him a few times, he would be with someone and his eyes would be going around to see who else was in the room."

When we concluded our conversation, he was like, "It's like John the 23rd reborn," he said as his last words.