A group of overzealous nuns surrounded Pope Francis when he appeared in Naples Cathedral on Sunday.

Some of the women fell to their knees in front of the Pope, and others handed him gifts while he sat in the pulpit with a bewildered look on his face.

Francis has drawn large crowds throughout his visit to the ancient city, but the reaction from the small group of cloistered nuns surprised the pontiff, his security team, and Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, who was officiating at the ceremony.

"Sisters... later," Sepe exclaimed. "Well, would you look at that. And these are the cloistered ones. Just imagine the non-cloistered ones," he laughed. "They are going to eat him! Sisters... sisters!"

The nuns reportedly had to be calmed before they would leave the pulpit.

Francis' trip to Naples also included a visit to Scampia, which is largely run by members of the Camorra crime family. The Pope called for more opportunities for residents to earn a fair wage in legal employment, and denounced the exploitation of workers.

Pope Francis has consistently called for unity against injustice, and has made the plight of underprivileged people and victims of modern slavery priorities for the Vatican.

Francis also spent time with about 90 inmates at the Giuseppe Salvia Detention Center in Poggiorale, outside of Naples.

The inmates, who were chosen at random, included 10 men from the prison's ward for gay, transgender, and HIV-positive convicts. The Religion News Service reported that Francis insisted on having lunch with the prisoners, although it was not originally on his Naples itinerary.

Prison ministry leader Anna Maria Esposito told Vatican Radio that Francis wanted to spend time with the prisoners individually, and insisted upon a "frugal" lunch. The meetings were held in a room that is used as the prison's chapel.