60 seconds with Pope
CAIRNS deacon Matt Ransom says he will be petrified today when he comes within centimetres of the Pope in front of about 200,000 people in Sydney.
He will kneel before the Pope on a 10m-high altar before reading a one-minute passage from the gospel for World Youth Day.
Mr Ransom yesterday said the holy privilege and the thought of being in front of thousands of people at the Sydney Harbour had not sunk in.
But he hoped today’s face-to-face encounter with the Pope would bring a special gift to the Far North.
"Because he is a holy man, maybe he will give me a gift to bring back to Cairns," Mr Ransom said.
"I will be within centimetres of him in front of 220,000 people – I really haven’t had a good chance to think about it.
"But I went for a rehearsal the other day and I said: ‘Oh my God, how did I get this job?’ " he said.
Mr Ransom, who travelled to Sydney with about 160 Cairns people, said today would be the first time the Pope would have spoken to Australians while in the country.
He compared this week’s World Youth Day events to sport.
"It’s like the atmosphere you get after a grand final football match but with a strong faith dimension," Mr Ransom said.
"It has been a massive festival of fun and faith without any drugs."
The Cairns deacon and his contingent will return on Monday, as about 2000 pilgrims are expected to converge on Cairns after World Youth Day.
Mr Ransom will read Matthew 20:25-28 at today’s welcome for the Pope.
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Nervous: Matt Ransom will read a Bible passage in front of the Pope today.
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