Parents speechless after Pope Francis hugged disabled son
(April 03, 2013) : In the United States, a Rhode Island couple said they were speechless
and moved to tears, when Pope Francis hugged and kissed their 8-year-old son in St.
Peter's Square on Easter Sunday. Paul and Christina Gondreau of Johnston and their
five children attended Easter Mass at the Vatican. The pope cradled their son, Dominic,
who has cerebral palsy. Videos and photos of the pontiff standing in the ``popemobile''
and holding Dominic were transmitted worldwide. Pope Francis also hugged and kissed
other children as he greeted the crowd after Mass. Paul Gondreau is a theology
professor at Providence College and is teaching this semester in Rome. A story on
the Providence College website says Paul Gondreau called the moment ``an incredibly
moving encounter.'' He says his son teaches him daily lessons about how to love. AP.