Pope Francis has been rescued by firefighters after he got stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes, ahead of his weekly address on Sunday, Srptember 1, CNN reports.

Francis apologized to crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City on Sunday, after showing up late for his weekly address.

Addressing the crowds, he explained: "Dear brothers and sisters, good morning. First of all, I have to apologize for being late but I had an unexpected event, I have been stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes."

The Pope said that there was "a drop in voltage," and that the elevator stopped.

"Thank goodness, the firemen arrived, and I thank them so much, and after 25 minutes of work they managed to get it started again," he said.

"A round of applause for the firefighters!" he added.