The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is among the first to get a private audience with Pope Francis.
Bishop Michael Bransfield met with the Pope on April 11th at the Vatican in his role as Papal Foundation President. It was a group meeting that had been scheduled before Pope Francis was selected.
“We were lucky because the Pope was starting the calendar and he didn’t change anything, so we were one of the first groups to meet him,” Bishop Bransfield said on Wednesday’s MetroNews Talkline.
He says Pope Francis was impressive.
“His comfort level with people is outstanding and I think that the people were just ecstatic by the end of it. He just has a familiarity and a common touch that’s just really impressive,” Bishop Bransfield said.
The Papal Foundation provides millions of dollars each year to support the charitable works of the Catholic Church. This year, more than $8 million was presented to Pope Francis.
Photo courtesy of L’Osservatore Romano.