The pilgrims and tourists who flock to St Peter's Square every week to see Pope Francis are in for a surprise this Sunday - pocket bibles handed out following a reprimand from the Roman pontiff himself.
Volunteers on the famous Vatican piazza will hand out thousands of Italian copies of the New Testament and the Acts of the Apostles before Francis delivers his weekly Angelus prayer and address from a balcony.
"Pope Francis has already encouraged the faithful several times to bring a mini-Bible with them to re-read and meditate the words and actions of Jesus," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi told reporters.
"The pocket Bibles will be handed out for free to the faithful on the square - a gift from the Holy Father," Lombardi said, adding that it would be a special edition just for Sunday with an epigraph from Francis.
At one of his Angelus prayers last month, the pope asked how many in the crowd read the Bible every day.
Faced with a less than enthusiastic response, Francis told them: "It's good to have a little Bible that you carry with you in your pocket or in your bag.
