UNIV 2013 Indian university students: Meeting Pope Francis
Mumbai: "A moment of grace, which has given us joy for life and holiness." These were the words of Kevin de Souza, head of an Indian delegation present in Rome at the first general audience of Pope Francis. Kevin spoke to AsiaNews about the meeting with the Pope in St Peter's Square as he greeted the faithful present.
For the 2013 UNIV Forum, 3,000 university students from all over the world congregated in Rome during the Holy Week to see Pope Francis and discuss the topic: “Discovering human identity in the digital world.” Among them were a group of Indian University students consisting of 14 young people from Mumbai, Delhi and Orissa.
UNIV Congress is a meeting that gives an opportunity to thousands of students to spend Holy Week in the Eternal City every year. Now in its 46th edition the event was born in 1968 at the initiative of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei.
During the general audience, on March 27, Pope Francis greeted the more than three thousand UNIV students present, thanking them "for their prayer and affection" and inviting them to achieve in their university life, all that Escrivá advocated: "It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we must sanctify ourselves, serving God and all men. "
At the end of the audience, the Pope toured the square to greet those present. Of the Indian delegation, four young men were able to shake his hand. "I was speechless - Dwayne Rebello, 18, tells AsiaNews - I could only stare and smile, and thank God for that moment." "I did not expect it - Sheldon Noronha, another young man who was present reveals - when he came to greet UNIV students. Instead he went on to greet everyone he could reach. I just shook his hand, but it was enough. I love the Pope! ".
For Kevin too it was an intensely emotional moment: "I kissed his ring and I told him that we all really hope he will visit India. Then, I asked him if could bless our national flag: in his characteristic way, the pope smiled and made the sign of the cross, blessing it. It was as if he was giving his blessing to all university students in India. "
source: asianews