The first ever Papal "selfie" has gone viral on social media.
The informal picture was taken on a smartphone belonging to young fans of Pope Francis, with the camera held at arm's length.
Around 500 teenagers had travelled from the Diocese of Piacenza and Bobbio, 50 miles south of Milan, for a pilgrimage, and shared a private audience with the pontiff.
The Pope told the young crowd he wanted to meet with them "for selfish reasons ... because you have in your heart a promise of hope."
"You are bearers of hope," he told the young pilgrims. "You, in fact, live in the present, but are looking at the future. You are the protagonists of the future, artisans of the future."
He advised the youngsters to "make the future with beauty, with goodness and truth, and have courage. Go forward. Make noise."
