My meeting with Blessed Pope Paul VI

As Pope Paul VI is being beatified today, I have a special memory of meeting him in August of 1966. A group of altar boys is chosen every year from Malta to replace the Italian altar-servers at the Vatican during August and mid-September. This started in 1965 and is still going on, every year. I was chosen in 1966 and during one of the audiences we had with Pope Paul VI, we were asked to kiss his ring. Somehow the official photographer took my photo kissing the Ring of the Fisherman, a memorable moment for me which I have treasured all these years, and it will have even more special meaning for me now that he is a Blessed, hopefully soon to be canonized. The bishop in the photo is the Archbishop of Malta, Michael Gonzo who happened to be at the audience too. The priest on the left is Canon Joseph Delia, the Director of the altar-boys. The other man was the Pope’s body-guard. We also had a group photo with the Pope, the audience being held at Castelgandolfo, the summer residence of the Pope.