Disfigured man describes moment he met Pope Francis

Source: Panorama, Corriere della Sera

The Italian man suffering from the genetic skin disease neurofibromatosis who was embraced by Pope Francis earlier this month has spoken of his joy at meeting the Pontiff.

Images of the Pope kissing and embracing Vinicio Riva in St Peter's Square made headlines around the world, but his identity and background weren't known until two Italian news outlets found and interviewed him. "My heart was bursting," he told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. When the Pope hugged him tight, he said he "felt like he was in paradise."

Riva, 53, lives in a small village near Vicenza in northern Italy with his younger sister Morena Riva, who has the same genetic disorder, and their aunt, Caterina Lotto, who cares for them. The siblings' late mother also suffered from the disease.

Riva told the Italian magazine Panorama that the thing that struck him most was that the Pope didn't hesitate at all. "I'm not contagious, but (the Pope) didn't know that. But he did it: He caressed my whole face and while he was doing it, I felt only love," he said.