Pope tells 42,000 altar servers they are Jesus' friends

Published: 2006-08-02

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Although billed as his weekly general audience, Pope Benedict XVI's Aug. 2 appointment in St. Peter's Square was mainly an audience for 42,000 European altar servers. And, in fact, there was a special focus on the 35,000 altar boys and altar girls from Germany. "Because most of the servers gathered in this square today are German-speakers, I will address them first in my mother tongue," the German-born pope explained at the beginning of the audience. Instead of giving his main audience talk in Italian, as is customary, the pope delivered his speech in German, then offered short greetings in Italian, French, English, Spanish, Polish and seven other languages. Including the altar servers, about 55,000 people had gathered in St. Peter's Square on a hot, humid day for the audience.

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