August 19, 2011 – Today, at lunch, Pope Benedict XVI met with the 12 Young Pilgrims from all over the world. The Traditional lunch with the Pope have been continuously observed since 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney. The twelve young people are selected based on the recommendations of their bishops and went through a rigorous selection process. The 12 young people came from the five continents of the world. During lunch, they exchanged chats with the pope. Simple chats and very casual conversation said one of the participant. The chat with the Pope was very casual that there are moments of laughter and goofs shared by Pope Benedict himself. In one of the official photos, Pope Benedict was caught on cam, gesturing as if playing a piano over the Piano cake — a rare moment for the pontiff who is known to be serious and seldom shows emotions. This openness of the Pope endeared many to him and probably has been one of the greatest moments of World Youth Day in Madrid. After the Lunch, the 12 young people together with other bishops and WYD Madrid organizers held a press conference for the international and local media. The young people answered the media’s question about their feelings and experience dining with the Pope. Most of the young people’s’ experiences were awe and admiration, saying that the Pope is not hard to talk to and that he is a very normal person. The Pope today also met with Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in a post luncheon one on one meeting.

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