Holy hitchhiker: Smiling Francis plucks priest friend from the crowd and takes him for a ride on his Popemobile

Pope spotted Reverend Fabien Baez in the crowd at St Peter's Square
Francis hugged his old friend and invited him to board his famous white car
Parish priest Baez accompanied Pope during his weekly audience
Pair met in the 1990s as Baez works in Pope's former Buenos Aires diocese

PUBLISHED: 21:59 EST, 8 January 2014 | UPDATED: 05:55 EST, 9 January 2014

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Pope Francis has once again broken with papal protocol by inviting an old friend for a spin on his famous 'Popemobile' during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square.

The Reverend Fabian Baez, a parish priest in Francis' hometown of Buenos Aires, didn't have a VIP ticket granting him a seat close to the altar or a spot where the pope would chat with well-wishers.

But as soon as Francis saw Baez in the crowd of several thousand people as the priest called out 'Santo Padre', the pope signaled for Vatican gendarmes to help Baez jump the barricade.

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Holy hitchhiker: Pope Francis invited his old friend Reverend Fabien Baez (pictured behind Francis) for a ride in his famous white car during his weekly audience in St Peter's Square

Hugging him warmly, Francis then invited Baez to hop aboard his panoramic car.

Sat alongside the papal assistant, the priest, from Our Lady of the Pillar church, accompanied the pope through the square as the head of the Catholic church waved to well-wishers and kissed babies.

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Baez said he was shocked by Francis' invitation, telling reporters afterward: 'I said to myself "What am I doing here? Mamma mia!"

'The pope laughed and said "Come, sit down, sit down!" And he continued to greet the people and kiss babies. I was very moved'

Baez said the two had known each other since the 1990s; the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop of the Argentine capital before being named pope.

Pope gives Argentinean priest ride around St. Peter's Square

Friendly: When Francis saw Baez in the crowd he signaled for Vatican gendarmes to help Baez jump the barricade and hugging him, invited him aboard

The priest later summed up the day on his Twitter account, writing: 'I’m going to change my biography. "The poor priest who got on the popemobile today with #PopeFrancis"'

Francis was in particularly good spirits at Wednesday's audience, entertained by a circus troupe and greeted by Italy's Sampdoria football team, who presented the soccer-mad pope with yet another shirt.

Francis has added a bit of spontaneity to the Vatican's staid ways.

He lives in the Vatican hotel rather than the Apostolic Palace and eschewed the armored Popemobile for a simple Fiat during his trip to Brazil.

When he has left the Vatican, he has done so with a minimal security detail and no fancy motorcade.

All smiles:Sat alongside the papal assistant, the priest, from Our Lady of the Pillar church, accompanied the pope through the square as he waved to well-wishers

Surprise: Baez said he was shocked by Francis' invitation, telling reporters afterward: 'I said to myself "What am I doing here? Mamma mia!"'

History: Baez said the two had known each other since the 1990s; the former Jorge Mario Bergoglio was archbishop of the Argentine capital before being named pope