Pope Francis in Mexico: Girl's stunning 'Ave Maria' brings a room to tears

Pope Francis' visit to Mexico so far has been marked by big events: meetings with heads of state, Masses delivered to enormous crowds.

But one small moment captured his attention and brought a whole room to silence.

After returning from a visit to the impoverished and dangerous city of Ecatepec on Sunday, the pope paid what is a customary visit to a children's hospital. He toured the Federico Gómez hospital, waving to crowds, hugging and kidding with children in wheelchairs and giving a short speech.

Then, while blessing people as he passed through the room, he met one girl who wore a blue scarf around her head, which appeared to be bald. The two embraced and exchanged quiet words. Then the girl began to sing.

The hymn "Ave Maria" echoed through the room.

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By the third line, the surrounding chatter fell silent, except for a crying baby in the background. All eyes turned toward the girl.

As the song continued, the pope gazed at her, and those surrounding him wiped away tears as the girl's pitch-perfect a cappella delivery ended.

The National Catholic Reporter and other media identified the girl as Alexia Garduno Aladro.

During the visit, the pope addressed the room and invoked the Bible story of Simeon, an old man who was moved by meeting Jesus as a young child.

"See, the child Jesus brought him two things," the pope said. "A sense of appreciation and a desire to bless."

He blessed the doctors and staff at the hospital, as well as the children. At the end of the address, he thanked them, and added, "And please, do not forget to pray for me. Do not forget!"