My wife met JPII, private audience at the vatican when she stayed as a bairn with the chief of Police of Rome. Closest I came was standing on the wall of The Pear Tree when he drove bye when we were nippers. Can recall my cousin Andrew sticking his fingers up and our Grannie ( still going strong at 97 and weekly at St.Patricks) nearly chopping his fingers off. We laughed quietly and for ages. Andrew wasn't allowed lunch from my mums deli that day.
As I've grown older and gone thru births,deaths and marriages the RC way, I've decided that religion isn't for me and they're all snake oil salesmen. I'm of no particular colour except green, but they all talk shite and how intelligent men and women can be allured by it all is beyond me.