Pope Francis was mobbed by a group of starstruck nuns during his visit to Naples Cathedral , prompting a cardinal to exclaim : ‘ They are going to eat him ! ’ The cloistered nuns , who usually observe the rules of ‘ papal enclosure and rarely leave their nunneries , were let out of their convents for the special occasion . But to the pontiff ’ s bewilderment , the overly excited women swarmed him during his pastoral visit and needed to be reined in by the Archbishop of Naples . Scroll down for video . Starstruck : Pope Francis can barely contain his bewilderment as he is swarmed by a group of nuns in Naples . Celebrity : The cloistered received special permission to be let out of their convents for the special occasion . Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe urged the ‘ sisters ’ - who stood to applaud the pontiff as he made his entrance and then inundated him with gifts - to restrain themselves through a microphone , the Telegraph reported . He said : ‘ Sisters… Later… well would you look at that . ' And to the amusement of those in the building , he joked : ‘ And these are the cloistered ones . Just imagine the non-cloistered ones. ’ He then added : ‘ They are going to eat him ! Sisters , sisters ! ’ During his one-day visit to Naples yesterday , the Argentine pontiff visited the cathedral to visit priests and religious leaders . As he toured some of the city ’ s poorest areas , where the mafia reign , hundred of thousands gathered for a glimpse . Swarmed : The nuns needed to be reined in by the Archbishop of Naples . Pictured : Pope Francis is greeted by thecloistered nuns at the Duomo . Service : The pontiff with Naples ' Archbishop Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe ( on his left ) as he blesses a relic believed to be the blood of San Gennaro at Naples ' Cathedral today during his one-day visit . Ritual : Pope Francis kisses the ampulla containing the blood of San Gennaro at the Duomo . But only a few managed to get as much quality time with Pope Francis as the nuns , from seven different closed convents , who had acquired special permission to attend the service . In 2013 , the Pope ’ s presence in the Brazilian town of Aparecida had a similar effect on a group of around 40 nuns . At the time , Vatican spokesman , the Reverend Federico Lombardi , said one nun rushed toward the Pope , embraced him and asked to take a photo together – leading others to follow suit . He added it was ‘ one of the most remarkable things ’ he had seen during Francis ' first inaugral international trip . Mass : Pope Francis greets the crowds as he arrives to lead a service on Piazza del Plebiscito square in Naples yesterday . Opposition : Pope Francis told the crowd that nothing can justify the death penalty and there is no 'right ' way to humanely kill another person . The Pope also had lunch with at least 10 gay , transgender and HIV-suffering inmates at a prison in Naples . He shared a meal with about 120 male and female inmates in a city jail , among them several transsexuals and AIDS sufferers chosen to represent those sectors of the prison population , a Church official confirmed . The stop-off at the Giuseppe Salvia Detention Centre in Poggioreale was not originally on his schedule . But the Pope reportedly insisted on the meal which was prepared by the prisoners themselves . The prison visit formed part of a very busy day for Pope Francis in the city 150 miles south of Rome . He began praying at a sanctuary in Pompeii , before holding a string of events which include an outdoor mass and meetings with young people and the sick before heading back to the Vatican this evening . Breaking bread : Pope Francis ( pictured ) has had lunch with at least 10 gay , transgender and HIV-suffering inmates at a prison in Naples during his visit to the city . Hectic : The prison visit formed part of a very busy day in Naples for the pontiff who began the day praying at a sanctuary in Pompeii .
The overexcited orthodox nuns overwhelmed a bewildered Pope Francis . They had special permission to leave closed convents for special occasions . During pope 's visit to Naples Cathedral , they needed to be sworn in . Archbishop of Naples wrote : ' These are the blessed nuns . Just imagine the non - cloistered nuns '