The parents of Theo Gabriel Ventura are grateful for the chance to meet Pope Francis up close when they visited Rome in September 2024. via Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — A few months before his death, Pope Francis blessed Filipino child Theo Gabriel Ventura from Cagayan.
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Coming from a devout Catholic family, the one-year-old was touring Rome with his parents and relatives in September 2024.
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His father Timothy Ventura told ABSCBN News that they were already elated to see the Pope up close. But they were even more surprised when one of the Papal guards approached them and brought his baby closer to the Pope.
One of the Papal guards approached the Filipino family and brought the baby closer to Pope Francis.
The family shared the photos and videos of the event to honor the legacy of Pope Francis.
"Rest now in the loving arms of Jesus, Lolo Kiko. Your wisdom, compassion, and faith will forever live in our hearts. We were truly blessed to have met Your Holiness, and our family is deeply honored to have encountered you," wrote Theo's mother Gilsah Fortuno Ventura on social media.
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"Thank you for the blessing you gave our little Theo. Your grace will continue to flow through him, and I pray he grows up knowing that, once in his life, he was lovingly held by your Blessedness," she added.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday.
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