AP PROVIDES ACCESS TO THIS PUBLICLY DISTRIBUTED HANDOUT PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE VATICAN NEWSPAPER L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO.
In this picture made available by the Vatican newspaper L' Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis is confessed by a priest in St. Peter's Basilica, at the Vatican, Friday, March 28, 2014. Pope Francis has kneeled before a priest and confessed his sins in a St. Peter's Basilica ceremony he hopes will inspire others to seek forgiveness. Traditionally, popes have heard confessions of some faithful in the basilica on Good Friday morning. But Francis did so three weeks early. And he surprised many in the packed church Friday by confessing his own sins with his back to cameras. At one point, the priest hearing his confession appeared to chuckle. Francis, solemn-faced, then rose and started hearing confessions himself. (AP Photo/L' Osservatore Romano)