Pope blesses sick officer
2008-07-17 10:25
Sydney - Pope Benedict XVI blessed a sick Australian policeman and light-heartedly put on the officer's hat, a report said on Thursday.
The pope blessed Senior Constable Gary Hill on Wednesday during a four-day rest at a Catholic retreat on the outskirts of Sydney, ahead of joining about 200 000 pilgrims at World Youth Day on Thursday.
Hill has suffered skin cancer and brain and heart tumours and was taken to meet the pope in a hospital bed, New South Wales state police commissioner Andrew Sipione told commercial radio.
The pontiff "made Gary's day" with the blessing and gave the ailing officer a set of rosary beads before donning his police hat, Scipione said.
"It just shows the human face of someone who is so very important. It touched a lot of police to know that he would go to those lengths to make one of our very sick officers so happy."
World Youth Day events will continue in Sydney until the climax on Sunday when the pope will lead a mass for up to 500 000 people.