Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 13, 2016 / 14:01 pm
During the Feb. 12 papal flight to Mexico, Pope Francis received an unprecedented gesture of affection from a Mexican journalist: a shoe shining, accompanied by a story from the journalist's youth.
Noel Díaz was born in Tijuana, and had a difficult childhood. He later emigrated to the United States, where now he is a prosperous businessman and founded the Catholic radio-television station, "El Sembrador" in California.
Now Noel is accompanying the papal trip to Mexico and yesterday – in his meeting with the pontiff on board the plane – told the Pope a story from his life, and offered to Pope Francis tools to clean shoes.
Noel told the Pope that when he was only eight years old and was about to receive his First Communion, he heard that his mother – who was single – couldn't buy him a suit for the ceremony. It was then that he decided to work in the streets as a shoeshiner.