by Dennis Augustine
This mural is not by reclusive artist, Banksy — it’s actually by an Italian street artist named Maupal (real name Mauro Pallotta). It became famous because it shows Pope Francis (depicted in a whimsical way) using a slingshot to shoot a red heart. It portrays Pope Francis as a “superhero” who “attacks” the world not with violence, but with love and kindness actively spread.
This art went viral when it first appeared near the Vatican around 2014, and many interpreted it as celebrating the Pope’s more accessible, gentle, and reform-minded approach.
When this mural first popped up near the Vatican in early 2014, instead of being offended or calling for it to be removed (as you might expect with official religious imagery), the Vatican actually embraced it!
In fact, the Vatican’s official communications account, @Pontifex (their Twitter account for the Pope), tweeted a photo of it, saying something like “We found this great street art near the Vatican. See how much love Pope Francis inspires.”
This was a really rare event — governments and religious institutions usually remove unauthorized street art quickly, but they saw it as a positive, lighthearted reflection of the Pope’s real influence: spreading compassion and action instead of judgment or rigidity.
It also fit well with Pope Francis’s image as a leader who wanted to connect with everyday people in new ways, focusing on love, humility, and charity.
