{"id":11307,"date":"2015-08-13T06:31:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-13T06:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican-78354\/"},"modified":"2015-08-13T06:31:00","modified_gmt":"2015-08-13T06:31:00","slug":"pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/","title":{"rendered":"Pope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family \u2013 friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires \u2013 traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe ceremony was beautiful and simple\u2026Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,\u201d Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12.<\/p>\n

\tNinci, who works for Radio Mitre\u2019s \u201cEl Diario de Mariana,\u201d is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican\u2019s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in \u201cThe Alameda\u201d Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis\u2019 strong support.<\/p>\n

\tIn an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born.<\/p>\n

\tWhen the time came, everything happened \u201csuddenly,\u201d she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left \u201cLucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tEverything happened quickly and \u201cwith almost no money,\u201d Ninci said, explaining that since they didn\u2019t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims.<\/p>\n

\tAfter arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana\u2019s older daughter, Charo, who is 9.<\/p>\n

\tAlso a member of \u201cThe Alameda\u201d foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship.<\/p>\n

\tNow, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, \u201cit was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,\u201d she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo.<\/p>\n

\tOne thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his.<\/p>\n

\tIn her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone \u201cso simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tShe recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings.<\/p>\n

\tFrancis also said a lot of things that \u201cmade me think,\u201d Ninci explained, such as \u201cto win war you must not to start it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn't,\u201d she said. \u201cNow that I've come back I haven't fought with anyone, at least not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHowever, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, \u201cThe fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOn seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, \u201cspiritually and attitudinally it did me well,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family – friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires – traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo.<\/p>\n

\t“The ceremony was beautiful and simple…Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,” Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12.<\/p>\n

\tNinci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms.<\/p>\n

\tAccording to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support.<\/p>\n

\tIn an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born.<\/p>\n

\tWhen the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.”<\/p>\n

\tEverything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims.<\/p>\n

\tAfter arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9.<\/p>\n

\tAlso a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship.<\/p>\n

\tNow, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo.<\/p>\n

\tOne thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his.<\/p>\n

\tIn her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.”<\/p>\n

\tShe recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings.<\/p>\n

\tFrancis also said a lot of things that “made me think,” Ninci explained, such as “to win war you must not to start it.”<\/p>\n

\t“I, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn’t,” she said. “Now that I’ve come back I haven’t fought with anyone, at least not yet.”<\/p>\n

\tHowever, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, “The fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.”<\/p>\n

\tOn seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, “spiritually and attitudinally it did me well,” she said.<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-vatican"],"yoast_head":"\nPope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family – friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires – traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo. “The ceremony was beautiful and simple…Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,” Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12. Ninci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms. According to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support. In an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born. When the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.” Everything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims. After arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th. In addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9. Also a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship. Now, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo. One thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his. In her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.” She recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings. Francis also said a lot of things that “made me think,” Ninci explained, such as “to win war you must not to start it.” “I, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn't,” she said. “Now that I've come back I haven't fought with anyone, at least not yet.” However, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, “The fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.” On seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, “spiritually and attitudinally it did me well,” she said.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family – friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires – traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo. “The ceremony was beautiful and simple…Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,” Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12. Ninci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms. According to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support. In an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born. When the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.” Everything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims. After arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th. In addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9. Also a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship. Now, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo. One thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his. In her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.” She recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings. Francis also said a lot of things that “made me think,” Ninci explained, such as “to win war you must not to start it.” “I, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn't,” she said. “Now that I've come back I haven't fought with anyone, at least not yet.” However, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, “The fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.” On seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, “spiritually and attitudinally it did me well,” she said.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-08-13T06:31:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Pope_Francis_greets_pilgrims_in_St_Peters_Square_before_the_Wednesday_general_audience_on_Oct_29_2014_Credit_Daniel_Ibez_CNA_3_CNA_10_29_14.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/\",\"name\":\"Pope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-13T06:31:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2015-08-13T06:31:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family – friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires – traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo. “The ceremony was beautiful and simple…Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,” Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12. Ninci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms. According to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support. In an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born. When the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.” Everything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims. After arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th. In addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9. Also a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship. Now, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo. One thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his. In her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.” She recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings. 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Ninci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms. According to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support. In an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born. When the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.” Everything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims. After arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th. In addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9. Also a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship. Now, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo. One thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his. In her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.” She recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings. Francis also said a lot of things that “made me think,” Ninci explained, such as “to win war you must not to start it.” “I, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn't,” she said. “Now that I've come back I haven't fought with anyone, at least not yet.” However, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, “The fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.” On seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, “spiritually and attitudinally it did me well,” she said.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican","og_description":"Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family – friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires – traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo. “The ceremony was beautiful and simple…Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,” Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12. Ninci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms. According to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support. In an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born. When the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.” Everything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims. After arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th. In addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9. Also a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship. Now, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo. One thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his. In her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.” She recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings. Francis also said a lot of things that “made me think,” Ninci explained, such as “to win war you must not to start it.” “I, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn't,” she said. “Now that I've come back I haven't fought with anyone, at least not yet.” However, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, “The fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.” On seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, “spiritually and attitudinally it did me well,” she said.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2015-08-13T06:31:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/images\/size340\/Pope_Francis_greets_pilgrims_in_St_Peters_Square_before_the_Wednesday_general_audience_on_Oct_29_2014_Credit_Daniel_Ibez_CNA_3_CNA_10_29_14.jpg"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/","name":"Pope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2015-08-13T06:31:00+00:00","dateModified":"2015-08-13T06:31:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Vatican City, Aug 13, 2015 \/ 12:31 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- In a whirlwind trip, Lucas Schaerer and his family – friends of Pope Francis from his time in Buenos Aires – traveled to the Vatican, where the Pope baptized their daughters, Simona and Charo. “The ceremony was beautiful and simple…Francis celebrated Mass and then we went to a sitting room, where we spoke for a long time,” Argentinian journalist Mercedes Ninci, a close friend of the couple, recalled in comments posted to the Vatican blog Il Sismografo Aug. 12. Ninci, who works for Radio Mitre’s “El Diario de Mariana,” is the godmother to newborn Simona, and was present in the chapel of the Vatican’s Saint Martha guesthouse for the baptisms. According to the journalist, Lucas and his wife Ana have known the Pope for some time, and are both active members in “The Alameda” Foundation. Dedicated to fighting against human and drug trafficking, the organization is well-known in Latin America, and has always had Francis’ strong support. In an interview with Ciudad.com published Aug. 10, Ninci recalled how Lucas and Ana sent the Pope a sonogram image of their baby when they found out they were pregnant. Once the Pope received it, she said, he offered to baptize the baby when she was born. When the time came, everything happened “suddenly,” she said, and recounted that just a few days before they left “Lucas called me asking if I wanted to be the godmother of the baby, Simona, and told me (the baptism) was in the Vatican.” Everything happened quickly and “with almost no money,” Ninci said, explaining that since they didn’t have time to find a place to stay when they got to Rome, Pope Francis arranged for them to stay in a convent that hosts pilgrims. After arriving to the Eternal City Aug. 5, the couple returned to Buenos Aires on the 10th. In addition to baptizing the newborn Simona, Francis also baptized Ana’s older daughter, Charo, who is 9. Also a member of “The Alameda” foundation, Ninci said that she had met the Pope while he was still in Buenos Aires, but that they never developed a close friendship. Now, after being present for the Mass and speaking with the Pope after, “it was amazing to meet a simple and profoundly human shepherd,” she said in the comments posted to Il Sismografo. One thing that Ninci said immediately caught her attention was that when the Pope walked in to greet them he was alone, appearing without the usual entourage that normally comes with people in a position like his. In her responses to Ciudad.com, the journalist said she was excited to be with someone “so simple and dedicated to the people, so detached from power.” She recalled how the Pope spoke a lot about his own family and childhood, specifically his mother, father and four siblings. Francis also said a lot of things that “made me think,” Ninci explained, such as “to win war you must not to start it.” “I, the warrior that I am, live battling for things I shouldn't,” she said. “Now that I've come back I haven't fought with anyone, at least not yet.” However, Ninci said the most important and exciting thing the Pope told her was when he said, “The fact that you are a poor journalist speaks well of you.” On seeing the Pope so down to earth and detached from his office, “spiritually and attitudinally it did me well,” she said.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2015\/08\/pope-francis-baptizes-children-of-an-old-friend-at-the-vatican\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Pope Francis baptizes children of an old friend at the Vatican"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11307"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11307\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}