Pope Francis got stuck in a Vatican elevator for 25 minutes before he was freed by firemen

AP

• Pope Francis arrived late to his weekly Sunday address in St. Peter's Square.

• He told the crowd he was stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes before being freed by firemen.

• It's believed that this is the first time such an event has occurred with a living Pope.

• Read more stories like this on Business Insider.

Pope Francis arrived late for his weekly address in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, explaining that he had been stuck in an elevator in the Vatican for 25 minutes and had to be freed by firefighters.

"I have to beg your pardon," the smiling pontiff said as he started the address about 10 minutes late.

He then explained that there had been an electrical power problem in the Vatican and that he had been stuck in the elevator until freed by Vatican fire officers.

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"A round of applause for the fire brigade," he told the crowd.

Alessandra Tarantino/AP

According to The Daily Mail, this is believed to be the first time that a Pope has been stuck in an elevator. The outlet says that an Italian television station broadcasting the address speculated that the delay could have been due to a blip in the Pope's health, which has been remarkably good during his tenure.

(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by David Goodman)