It seems that Pope Benedict needed to catch up on some z’s during a mass in Malta over the weekend.

Pope Benedict XVI is a very busy man, so busy that he seems to be lacking a little in the sleep department. At an outdoor mass over the weekend, in the capital city of Valleta, he was caught nodding off. Tens of thousands of people gathered for the event which Pope Benedict attended.

The Pope flew into Malta on Saturday and was only in the country for 26 hours. It seems from his mass shut eye that his busy schedule is beginning to get to him.

“It was just for a few seconds,” said a crowd member. “He slumped forward onto his chest.”

Bishop Guido Marini, who was sitting next to Pope Benedict, was forced to poke him to wake him up.

Archbishop Paul Cremona said that the Pope had not gotten much sleep on Saturday and Sunday, but was able to take a nap after the papal Mass in order to catch up on some sleep.

The Pope turned 83 on Friday.

It seems that the Pope was partaking in what several Catholics have longed to do for centuries during mass: sleep.