- The Washington Times - Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Pope Francis has made a new friend — a young boy dressed in yellow who climbed the Vatican stage and wandered about the pontiff’s robes for a time, paying little heed to the thousands who filled the square at St. Peter’s to hear the latest Catholic Church address.

The pope even tried to persuade the child — dubbed the “boy in yellow” by CBS — to leave the stage with a proffered piece of candy. But to no avail.

The boy continued to stand near the pope, ultimately hugging his leg and tripping around the stage, in front of the podium and to both sides, bolding waving at the crowd and smiling, The Daily Mail reported. He even reached for a partner in crime — a girl he led to the pope for a gift — before settling in the pontiff’s chair for a rest.

The pope, for his part, took the interruption in stride and with good humor, reaching down at least once to pat the boy’s head, Fox News said. And in his speech: He suggested people should say “thank you” as frequently as possible.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide