WHEN Pope Francis urged Catholics to "find ways to communicate Jesus wherever we are", few expected him to include rapping the Gospel message.
However, an image of the Pontiff striking the pose of a rapper during his trip to the Central African Republic has proved a global hit on social media.
The head of the Catholic Church was pictured as he spoke at a camp for displaced people in the war-torn African nation.
In classic rapper style, the Pope's left hand is outstretched horizontally, with his right hand clutching the microphone.
Snapped by South African based photographer Gianluigi Guercia of Agence France Presse, the picture has been shared across the world.
With eight million followers on Twitter, and head of the world's largest church, Pope Francis would have no shortage of fans if he decided to produce his own 'Popebars', as social media users have labelled his music.
After arriving in a Fiat car to meet President Barack Obama during his trip to the US, the 78-year-old has gained a reputation for doing things the unconventional way.
Social media users took to Twitter to produce their own lyrics for the Pope: "I murder these bars like Cain did to Abel. Better call me Charlie cause I'm surrounded by angels."
Another added: "Drake and Meek Mill beef on whose rhymes are tighter, but don't forget about me and my Holy Ghostwriter."
However, dampening the hopes of those keen to see a Papal rap released soon, qualified observers have pointed out that the pose adopted by the Pope is in actual fact caused by sciatica, the chronic back pain condition suffered by the Pontiff.
