Vatican City, Sep 19, 2018 / 09:50 am
U2 front man Bono had a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican Wednesday afternoon, saying afterward the Holy Father was "incredibly gracious with his time, his concentration."
Speaking to journalists following the just over 30-minute meeting Sept. 19, Bono said they "let the conversation go where it wanted to go," discussing "big themes," such as the future of commerce and how it might serve sustainable development goals.
Irishman Bono, born Paul David Hewson, also said that having just come from Ireland, they "inevitably" spoke about "the pope's feelings about what has happened in the Church."
He said he explained to Francis that to some it looks like "the abusers are being more protected than the victims," and that he "could see the pain" in the pope's face. "I felt he was sincere, and I think he's an extraordinary man for extraordinary times," Bono said.