Pope Francis sports black eye as he meets Tony Blair

Pope Francis was sporting a large black eye as he met Tony Blair at the Vatican days after a car accident sent him flying into his car’s dashboard.

The pontiff shook hands with Mr Blair and exchanged a few  warm words during his weekly audience at St Peter’s Square, in the Vatican.

The Pope was left with a black-and-blue bruised eye and a cut on his brow after hitting his head when his pope-mobile braked sharply earlier this week.

It happened as the head of the Catholic Church was met by hundreds of well-wishers in Cartagena, Colombia, on the last day of his visit to the south American country.

He lost his balance when his motorcade came to an abrupt halt, bruising his left eye and cutting his left eyebrow which dripped blood onto his white cassock.

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair switched from the Anglican Church to Catholicism soon after leaving Downing Street in 2007.

He said his conversion to had been driven by his wife, Cherie, adding at the time that it ‘felt right’ and ‘is now where my heart is’.

Pope Francis sported a black eye as he met with former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican

The Pontiff suffered the bruised eye after his motorcade broke abruptly during a visit to Cartagena in Colombia

The Pontiff suffered the bruised eye after his motorcade broke abruptly during a visit to Cartagena in Colombia

The Pope exchanged words and shook hands with Mr Blair, who converted to Catholicism, from the Anglican Church,  in 2007

The Pope exchanged words and shook hands with Mr Blair, who converted to Catholicism, from the Anglican Church,  in 2007

The Pope was thrown against the dashboard of his Popemobile, bruising his eye and cutting his brow during the accident

The Pope was thrown against the dashboard of his Popemobile, bruising his eye and cutting his brow during the accident

The Pontiff shares a few words with Mr Blair as the pair talk before his weekly general audience at St Peter's Square

The Pontiff shares a few words with Mr Blair as the pair talk before his weekly general audience at St Peter’s Square

The Pontiff's has dark bruising around his left eye with a white butterfly stitch over his brow, as a result of the incident

The Pontiff’s has dark bruising around his left eye with a white butterfly stitch over his brow, as a result of the incident

Mr Blair said his conversion to Catholicism had been driven by his wife, Cherie, adding at the time that it ¿felt right¿

Mr Blair said his conversion to Catholicism had been driven by his wife, Cherie, adding at the time that it ‘felt right’

Pope Francis waves to faithful as he arrives for his weekly general audience at St Peter's square in the Vatican 

Pope Francis waves to faithful as he arrives for his weekly general audience at St Peter’s square in the Vatican 

 

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