Vatican City, May 30, 2007 / 07:34 am
Pope Benedict XVI compassionately held the hands of the parents of 4-year-old Madeleine McCann, blessing them and a photo of the girl at the Wednesday audience today. The couple, who is Catholic, went to ask prayers for their daughter who disappeared while the family was vacationing in Portugal.
Thirty two thousand people were present at the general audience, but the pope took time to meet with Gerry and Kate McCann. "He was very kind, very sincere," Kate McCann told a packed news conference. According to the Associated Press, she said Benedict reassured them that he would "continue to pray for Madeleine's safe return."
"It was more personal than I ever could have imagined," said Gerry McCann. When Benedict saw a photograph of Madeline he recognized her right away. "His touch and thoughts and words were more tender than we could have hoped and that will sustain us during this most difficult time," he said.
When the Catholic couple expressed their desire to meet with the Holy Father to ask for his prayers the Holy See was quick to say yes.