Rome, Italy, Mar 5, 2013 / 16:01 pm
The man who is known around the world as "the Pope's shoemaker" expressed sadness at the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI but also gratitude for the opportunity to serve the pontiff.
"I saw on television that he was wearing my shoes and I felt so proud," recalled Antonio Arellano, who mended shoes for Pope-emeritus Benedict XVI when he was cardinal and also made special shoes for him during his pontificate.
In a March 4 interview with CNA, Arellano explained that among his vast clientele of cardinals, monsignors and religious, his most special client will always be Pope Benedict XVI.
Arellano was born in Trujillo, Peru, where the learned to be a cobbler. He moved to Rome in 1990 and opened a shoe repair shop near the Vatican.