“When we think of the great men who make history, of crucial figures for the whole of humanity, such as the Holy Father, we imagine them intent, from awakening until evening, to medicate the world, to solve very important and complex problems. ‘of blush and with great happiness, we welcomed the gesture of infinite generosity of Pope Francis, who found a few moments of his precious time to greet us, to give us the rosaries that he usually offers to those he meets, and also to give us his blessing at the beginning of our pilgrimage “. This is how Andrea Bocelli describes to the Adnkronos the emotion for the private meeting with the Holy Father, before the departure for the pilgrimage on horseback that the Tuscan tenor started along the Via Francigena, which will take him from Rome to his country, Lajatico. “A journey – explains Bocelli – which, evidently, he too believes can exhort many people to reflect on the meaning of life, on faith, on those topics that, despite being capital, the noisy everyday life tends to neglect”. Bocelli tells Adnkronos the circumstances in which the meeting took place. “Yesterday morning, when on horseback, together with Veronica (his wife, ed), lined up in front of Santa Marta, we were able to briefly meet him, it was a touching moment. An emotion heightened by the perception of finding the Saint A smiling father and bearer of joyful serenity, imbued with hope and trust in the future “. “The first to meet him was our Virginia, impatient and moved, after many times we had told her about her great privilege of having received his blessing, when she was still in the cradle – the artist reveals with emotion – The Holy Father he appeared amused by this welcome that was not really orthodox but full of affection: he came to each of us, shook hands with us, thanked us, gave us the rosaries and gave us his blessing. constant and priority commitment to be worthy, every day and in all our actions, of such benevolence “. During the meeting, the Tuscan tenor donated the Andrea Bocelli Humanitarian Award 2021 to Pope Francis. (By Ilaria Floris)