WYD Rio : Vatican Radio speaks to 'The Catholic Guy'

(Vatican Radio) Among the 6,000 journalists covering Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Brazil is one original “Catholic Guy:” He’s Lino Rulli, a producer and current host of The Catholic Guy on The Catholic Channel, on Sirius XM Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service in the U.S.

Vatican Radio’s Sean Patrick Lovett ran into the Emmy Award-winning radio host in Rio de Janeiro where both reporters are covering the World Youth Day events and Pope Francis’ activities.

Rulli says he “loves” Pope Francis “because he’s a rule breaker. I love him because he bucks the trends and the norms and I think teaches us in many ways, what it is to be Christian and what it is to be comfortable in your own skin. And not to do just because this is the way that always things have been done and not to do just because people expect you - or want you - to do those things but to do what you really think you’re called to do and what you’re comfortable doing.

“And what I’ve said from almost day one of his papacy, is the guy just reminds me of what a Christian should be. And I think that’s why people are so attracted to him: as he says things (like)‘hey, what about those poor people: we should help them, right?’ ‘Hey, how about loving people who feel like they’re on the outskirts of our Church? Let’s reach out to them!’ What’s not attractive about that?”

Rulli says he’s amazed at the Pope’s energy levels in Brazil: “he comes from Rome to Rio and he’s running around this town as if he’s got nothing but energy!”

“The guy has just boundless energy. I find that fascinating… how come this guy’s like the Energizer bunny of Christians? Everywhere he goes, he’s got nothing but energy and you can tell what he loves the most: it’s not the dignitaries (he loves the dignitaries as people, sure) but he doesn’t love the events- he loves the people…. You see it in his eyes.”

Listen to Sean Patrick Lovett’s extended conversation with Lino Rulli: