Editor’s note: Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the editors of Where Peter Is received many tributes to his life and reflections on his influence from past and current contributors, as well as podcast guests and friends of the site from all over the world. We will publish a few of these reflections every day leading up to the conclave. —ML
“He’s stronger than he looks”
By Deacon Greg Kandra
Let me tell you about the time I got to meet him.
I was invited to speak at one of the big churches in Rome for the Jubilee of Deacons in May 2016; as a perk, my wife and I got choice seats at the Mass that Pope Francis celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. After the Mass, he pulled off his chasuble, straightened his vestments, and got into position behind the outdoor altar to meet some of the deacons and their wives who had been sitting nearby.
I was nervous about what to do. Shake his hand? Kiss his ring? As I stood in line waiting my turn, I noticed that few of the deacons ahead of me would have none of that — they gave him a full-on bear hug. I decided: No. He’s my pope, I’m his deacon, I’ll probably never do this again. I’ll kiss his ring.
I was still practicing what I would say when, suddenly, the line ahead of us disappeared and there he was. It was my turn. Pope Francis took a breath, extended his hand, smiled, and I smiled back. I gave a firm handshake. And then I bent down to reverence the ring.
Bad idea.
Worth mentioning: he’s stronger than he looks. At the moment I bent down, the ring I intended to kiss was rising up, with a papal hand attached. I sprang upright. Okay. I got the message. He doesn’t like that.
With that out of the way, I introduced him to my wife, Siobhain. “Holy Father, could you give us a blessing?,” I asked. “This week we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary.”
I was certain he didn’t understand a word of it.
But again, I misjudged. his eyebrows shot up. He beamed. Evidently, the hand debacle was forgotten. He reached out and took my left hand in his, and then took my wife’s right hand. He clasped them firmly. “Bueno, bueno,” he said happily. He smiled. We smiled. We all smiled and laughed like old friends.
And then it was over.
He nudged us along, and I found myself suddenly staring at a familiar face, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who stood next to the pope with a basket full of small green packets, each containing a rosary. Archbishop Gänswein, smiled politely, nodded, gave us each a rosary, and then glanced to the left as if to say, “You. The Ring-kisser. Exit that way.”
And it was over.
The entire experience lasted all of 20 seconds.
But it kept me smiling for the rest of the week. It was impossible not to be charmed by his joy, his sincerity, his way with people.
He had that effect on me — and, I think, the world.
If you would like to add your own reflection to this series, please send it via email by clicking on the “Article Submissions” tab above, with the subject line “Reflection.” The recommended length is 200-300 words. Longer submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be subject to editing. We may not be able to publish all submissions.
Image: Provided by the author.
Deacon Greg Kandra is a Roman Catholic deacon in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York. For nearly three decades, he was a writer and producer for CBS News, where he contributed to a variety of programs and was honored with every major award in broadcasting. Deacon Greg now serves as Senior Writer for Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA.) He and his wife live in Forest Hills, New York. He's an author, speaker, and blogger. His website is thedeaconsbench.com.
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