(From our correspondents in Sydney) – “It was an extraordinary experience to have the Pope with us: we were all on the boat with our flags, glad for the moments we were living”. This was told to SIR by Ryan Stichweh, who came to Australia from West Virginia (Usa) to meet Pope Benedict XVI and who this afternoon was lucky enough to go, with just about another 200 young people, on the voyage from Rose Bay to Barangaroo on the Holy Father’s boat. “Very excited” is also Tran Huuong Quyen, who left Vietnam to attend the WYD in Sydney. While Malaysian girls Eddy Dorairajah and Valerie Chen even went so far as to get close to the Pope: “We managed to climb on deck and we saw him close up. We greeted him, flying our flags. He waved back… it was extraordinary". "I’m glad, a true privilege”, comments Yvette Necheine; “even if I could not speak to him personally, because security was huge, I saw him and I was impressed at his candour”. On board were also Sebastian LaCroix, Canadian, and Wasan Sadik, an Australian girl of Iraqi origin: “We read some hymns, sung, and the air was full of joy. We also danced and all together we flew flags and scarves to greet the boys and girls who were waiting for the Pope”.
