Madrid, Spain, Aug 20, 2011 / 08:38 am
World Youth Day volunteers who were selected to have lunch with Pope Benedict XVI on August 19 experienced a relaxed, communal and exciting atmosphere, sharing their thoughts and experiences.
“The Pope was very happy, (and) laughed with all of us. That is a side of him that I wish more people would know, because it is not well known,” said 33-year old Juan Carlos Piedra, from Ecuador, in an interview with CNA.
Piedra was one of twelve World Youth Day 2011 volunteers who got to share a meal with the Pope after his name was drawn from a pool of 30,000 others. The globally diverse group spoke English, Italian, French, Spanish and German over lunch at the Ambassadors Lounge of the Apostolic Nunciature, according to Piedra.
The conversation was very casual, and each of the selected youth told the Pope “our worries, desires and the people we represented,” Piedra explained.