Vacationing pope prays, jokes with guests

Published: 2005-07-25

LES COMBES, Italy (CNS) -- A visibly relaxed Pope Benedict XVI spent more than 40 minutes praying and joking with some 5,000 people who gathered in an Alpine meadow for the July 24 recitation of the Angelus. Instead of waiting for the crowd's cheers to end so he could continue his prepared remarks, the pope gave a running commentary on the size, volume and enthusiasm of the groups that made their way to Les Combes to share his last Sunday in the northern Italian Alps. When a roar went up as he began greeting Spanish speakers in their native tongue, the pope said, "You always make yourselves heard." But there was only a smattering of applause when he addressed German speakers. So he explained in Italian, "There are only a few of them, but they are here." After the Angelus, Pope Benedict waded into the crowd and spent about 20 minutes greeting and blessing people who were in a special section for the sick and those using wheelchairs.

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