"Your Holiness, I want to be a priest of Christ, a representative of Christ," little Nathan whispered with tears in the ear of Pope Francis.

Brazil : Unfazed by the hundreds around him, little Nathan, then aged 9, jumped hurdles and made his way to the Popemobile in his Brazilian national soccer team jersey. "Your Holiness, I want to be a priest of Christ, a representative of Christ," he whispered to the Pontiff.

"I am going to pray for you, but I ask you to pray for me," Pope Francis responded, moved to tears and embraced him. "As of today, your vocation is set." His Holiness continued.

The image of the little Brazilian boy embraced by the Holy Father, also in tears, made its way to international media around the world on July 26, 2013. Fast forward to 2022, Nathan de Brito, now 17, is a Postulant of the Order of Friars Minor in Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Nathan de Brito brought Pope Francis to tears during one of the Pope's motorcades through the streets of Rio de Janeiro during his trip for World Youth Day in 2013.

It was only after several attempts that the Pope's security entourage was able to take Nathan off the Popemobile, as neither the Holy Father nor the child wanted to be separated. Once on the street, Nathan walked alongside the Popemobile, waving to the Pontiff and blowing him kisses.

Dom Joaquim Wladimir, Bishop of Lorena, Sao Paulo, Brazil, expressed his joy on Facebook on seeing the little boy as a young postulant. “In 2016, he participated in the CNBB Vocational Month. He got a pectoral cross from the Pope, with permission to wear it. He is currently Postulant of the Order of Friars Minor in Rondonópolis / MT” the bishop posted on his official Facebook page.

The prayers of Pope Francis encouraged little Nathan to adhere to his wish and answer the Call of God.