American girl meets Pontiff, receives blessing for failing eyesight
April 06, 2016
A 5-year-old American girl who is losing her eyesight because of a rare medical problem met briefly with Pope Francis on April 6.
Lizzy Meyers, who suffers from Usher Syndrome, met with the Pontiff at the conclusion of his regular Wednesday public audience. She had been scheduled to attend a papal audience last week, but missed a connecting flight.
The American girl and her family received free flights after executives at Turkish Airlines heard that Lizzy had a "bucket list" of things she wanted to see before her vision fails, and a meeting with the Pope was at the top of the list.
Pope Francis embraced the girl, and places his hands over her eyes as he gave his blessing.
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Further information:
- Pope Francis blesses five-year-old girl who is losing her sight (Catholic Herald)
- American girl, losing eyesight, will have 'bucket list' meeting with Pontiff (CWN, 3/30)
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Posted by: unum -
Apr. 07, 2016 9:39 AM ET USA
Pope Francis continues to lead by example. His "open door" policy, for even the least of our brothers and sisters, sends a constant message about mercy to us all.
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Posted by: rjbennett1294 -
Apr. 07, 2016 6:46 AM ET USA
And yet when the husband and daughter of Asia Bibi, the Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan for "blasphemy" against Islam, tried to meet the pope as he greeted people in St. Peter's Square, he simply ignored them. A man with the pair explained in Spanish who they were, but Francis swept on past http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351264?eng=y Perhaps they didn't deserve Francis' attention because they weren't as much of a media event as the girl losing here eyesight was.
