Herald Malaysia - daily news source with Malaysian and Global coverage of the Catholic Churches. Catholic News,World Christian News, Malaysia Church News
I was in Rome in 2000 on the occasion of International Youth Day, where I saw Pope John Paul II up close. I participated in Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in Washington, DC in 2008. I attended the International Day of Families in 2015 in Philadelphia, where Pope Francis was present. I can now say, 23 years later, that I have had the joy of being close to the last three popes.
My joy began on the evening of April 18 when I read a WhatsApp message from the Catholic Extension team that said, “We ask that you please be very attentive to your emails tonight, because we will be sending a very important email with all the information about the trip to Rome.” We love you and pray for you!” We left for the Vatican on April 26 at 6.30am, since our appointment with the Pope was at 8.00am. The excitement, nervousness and joy we experienced while waiting for the Holy Father was remarkable. We already knew the protocols: The Pope does not like people to kneel before him or kiss his ring. Aware of that, I was also ready to seize whatever spontaneous moment presented itself.
The Pope insisted that “caring for the needs of the poor” helps society. This phrase seems contrary to what society thinks but, on further reflection, it makes sense, because society, the Church, the person and the community are transformed when a person is helped to grow and to overcome poverty, and when their dignity is valued. Another phrase that touched me very much was that “the Church is a rich tapestry made of many individual threads ... woven into unity by the Holy Spirit”.
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