DEO GRACIAS!
These blessed moments occured exactly a month ago, at the Vatican, on 18-9-2024.But I got the photos only yesterday.
Holy Father Pope Francis granted me a special audience within the general audience.I had been in Italy and Spain for a month in connection with an International Media Seminar and a few other academic commitments.
I adorned the Pope with a ceremonial Indian shawl (ponnada), explaining it’s cultural significance .” It means you are wrapped in our filial love and prayers “.
Visibly happy , he responded, repeatedly saying : “please pray for me”.
I could present him with a copy of ‘The Story of a Mustard Seed’, an 860 page history volume which I coauthored with Dr. Augustine Mulloor and Dr. Francis Pereparambil.
A copy of ‘The Rainbow ‘ , a 400 page Festschrift offered to me by my students, when I turned 70 on April fifth 2024, was also presented to him.
Papa Francis was visibly happy about all these. He asked me a few questions, which I answered labouring hard with my very limited Italian vocabulary!
I requested the Santa Padre for a special blessing for my country( Patria), family, friends and the entire Journalist community , which he willingly imparted.
My interaction with the Holy Father lasted more than 3.5 minutes. Within that short time the Vatican Media clicked 62 photos!
Ignatius Gonsalves