PHOTOS: Female Singer Goes Emotional, See How She Greeted Pope Francis

A Spanish singer, Maria Jose Santiago Medina, could not contain her emotions after she met Pope Francis at the Paul VI Hall ahead of his visit to a large Roma gypsy camp in Italy. The Spanish singer dramatically went down the hall with her arms held out for a long-awaited hug with the pope. The ceremony was attended by over 5,000 members of the gypsy community. After hugging the pope, Ms Medina knelt down in front of him with her hands held out to him. See photos below:;

Meanwhile, the pope has been attending a three-week gathering of Roman Catholic bishops from around the world. In his first official trip to Africa, the pope has refused to visit Nigeria. Vatican officials say the pontiff will be visiting Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic. The shunning of Nigeria is due to the numerous attacks by the Islamist sect, Boko Haram.