{"id":12913,"date":"2016-02-13T21:01:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-13T21:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/how-a-shoeshiner-turned-journalist-touched-the-heart-of-pope-francis-55483\/"},"modified":"2016-02-13T21:01:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-13T21:01:00","slug":"how-a-shoeshiner-turned-journalist-touched-the-heart-of-pope-francis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2016\/02\/how-a-shoeshiner-turned-journalist-touched-the-heart-of-pope-francis\/","title":{"rendered":"How a shoeshiner-turned-journalist touched the heart of Pope Francis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

<\/p>\n

Mexico City, Mexico, Feb 13, 2016 \/ 02:01 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- During the Feb. 12 papal flight to Mexico, Pope Francis received an unprecedented gesture of affection from a Mexican journalist: a shoe shining, accompanied by a story from the journalist\u2019s youth.<\/p>\n

Noel D\u00edaz was born in Tijuana, and had a difficult childhood. He later emigrated to the United States, where now he is a prosperous businessman and founded the Catholic radio-television station, \u201cEl Sembrador\u201d in California.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now Noel is accompanying the papal trip to Mexico and yesterday \u2013 in his meeting with the pontiff on board the plane \u2013 told the Pope a story from his life, and offered to Pope Francis tools to clean shoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Noel told the Pope that when he was only eight years old and was about to receive his First Communion, he heard that his mother \u2013 who was single \u2013 couldn\u2019t buy him a suit for the ceremony. It was then that he decided to work in the streets as a shoeshiner.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Pope Francis listened with attention. Noel then asked him permission to shine his shoes. The Pope accepted, and he knelt with brush and cloth to polish the Holy Father\u2019s black shoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In statements to CNA, Noel explained that in shining Pope Francis\u2019 shoe, he wanted to recall \u201ceveryone who, with dignity and effort, works every day to bring food into their homes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMany times, one doesn\u2019t realize the suffering of so many people who work in the streets as peddlers,\u201d Noel said. \u201cMy mother was a peddler.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noel crossed the border with his mother as an illegal immigrant, and was deported twice. \u201cAfter many years, we were legalized. I asked the Pope that he pray a lot for immigrants, that those who have gone many years without seeing their mother or father can see them,\u201d he said. Noel\u2019s mother died in 2010.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a Mexican, Noel has a lot of hope for this papal visit. \u201cThe Pope travels as a pilgrim of mercy and peace. I hope that his words reverberate with the Mexican people and that we Catholics engage more. The Pope does not come to resolve the problems but to come to be a voice that the people want to listen to,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Noel asked the Pope what laity can do to help in his mission. The Pontiff asked them to \u201cleave the caves\u201d \u2013 to go out from their comfort zone into the peripheries. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a very nice experience. The Pope, undoubtedly was moved and I had the pleasure of having shined the shoes of the Pope,\u201d Noel concluded. \u00a0
\n\u00a0<\/p>\n

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

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

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