Circus performers ''champions of beauty'': Pope Francis

Vatican City: Pope Francis late on Wednesday greeted circus workers who staged an acrobatic display at his general audience in St Peter`s Square, calling them "champions of beauty".

"You are champions of beauty: You make beauty, and beauty is good for the soul," Francis told the circus workers, including children.

"Beauty brings us closer to God, but how many hours of training lie behind this spectacle of beauty! Keep it up!" Francis said.