Cologne, Germany, Aug 18, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Twelve World Youth Day pilgrims had the privilege to have lunch with Pope Benedict XVI Friday at the Grand Seminary of Cologne. The six women and six men, whose ages ranged from 18 to 28, came from six continents. Five were from Europe, two from Africa and one each from North America, South America, Australia and Asia.
The lunch, which consisted of a salad, a vegetable omelet, potatoes, and apple pie for dessert, lasted for nearly an hour and a half. The Pope had been offered trout instead but he declined, saying that he wanted the same thing that the young people were having.
Canadian Veronique Rondeau was one of the 12, and she was pleasantly surprised to discover that the new pontiff was warm and welcoming. “I was expecting someone colder, more distant, guided more by protocol, but it wasn’t the case,” she admitted to reporters.
Rondeau, 23, said the Pope’s questions and eye contact demonstrated that he was really interested in what the pilgrims had to say. He asked the Montreal native about the two movements of which she is a member, namely Marie Jeunesse and Canadian Catholic Outreach, which runs peer ministry programs in university campuses across Canada.