A little boy darted past security officers to approach Pope Benedict XVI during the regular papal public audience on February 2. As the Pope was speaking of St. Teresa of Avila of Spain a youngster came out of nowhere to the front stage where the Pope was.
Apparently, the young boy bolted from his parents, gaining the stage of the Paul VI auditorium, where the audience was being held, as the Pope was reading short versions of his Wednesday talk in various languages.
Guards quickly closed in, but the Holy Father signaled that they should back away, letting the little boy, later identified as Brazilian, approach.
Pope Benedict spoke to the boy quietly and gave him a blessing, before returning him to his parents, to the delight of the crowd in the auditorium. The Pope’s secretary, Mgr. Georg Ganswein then accompanied the child back to his parents.
