It was Thursday 18 August, 2005, and we were on the banks of the Rhine in Cologne. Hand in hand, my friend and I had run, squealing, back and forth through crowds trying to get as close to the water’s edge as we could. Our excitement was childish, but sincere and heartfelt. He was coming! Pope Benedict XVI was coming to greet us, and though fresh in our memory was the death of our beloved John Paul II, we couldn’t wait to greet his successor with all the love and joy that a crowd of tens of thousands of Young People attending World Youth Day could muster.
10:00 AM
Benedict XVI: Compassion without compromise
it was thursday 18 august, 2005, and we were on the banks of the rhine in cologne. hand in hand, my friend and i had run, squealing, back an...
Margaret Nicholson
5 min read
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