Holy Father, what a thrill to be able, on behalf of the Republic of Paraguay, to have you here.
The Ambassador of Paraguay to the Holy See, María Leticia Casati Caballero, presented her credentials to Pope Francis.
She gave him a very special gift: chipitas—a sweet food made with cassava starch and cheese. The country's first cardinal, Adalberto Martínez, had also brought the Pope a few chipitas when he came to Rome for the Consistory.
-I know they brought him quite a few because the cardinal told me he brought quite a lot, so....
-Thank you.
-To continue.
-That's a very good amount.
-And this, if I may, is a stole with all the typical embroidery designs of Paraguay.
The embroidered images follow various indigenous techniques and represent jasmines in memory of the Paraguayan Carmelite sister, Blessed María Felicia de Jesús Sacramentado.
Pope Francis blessed the ambassador, her family and the two members of the embassy who had accompanied them. He then gave them a very personal thank you.
Thank you very much, thank you for having accompanied me. And for bringing the air of Paraguay.
According to the Paraguayan Embassy to the Holy See, the Pope congratulated the Paraguayan government for sending an ambassador 'representing the most glorious women of America,' an expression he used several times.
RM
TR: KG
