A 'tremendous love' shone from Pope

When Benjamin Bayer had his face cupped in the loving hands of Pope John Paul II it was as if he was the only child in the world.

"The way that the Holy Father reached out to him, even in his own frail nature, with his eyes shining you could just see the tremendous love in his eyes," recalls Benjamin's mother, Colleen Bayer.

"He [Benjamin] could have been the only person in the whole world.

"The Holy Father just reached out to him in love and that was really special."

That special moment took place two years ago in Rome and helped fulfil a dream Mrs Bayer and her husband, Terry, held for their children.

The Auckland couple had met the Pope on previous occasions and wanted their two special-needs children to share the experience.

In October 2003 the family was able to organise an audience and Benjamin had his encounter with the Holy Father, while their daughter Kathleen sat just metres away on a platform.

Mrs Bayer said that the privilege of meeting and being blessed by the Pope was one the family would never forget.

They now treasure photographs, medals and other items he blessed for them.

"We are very, very fortunate."

Mrs Bayer said Benjamin, who has Down syndrome, still put his hands to his face and talked of the time the Pope blessed him.

Kathleen, who has developmental problems, also holds her own special memories of her time at the Vatican.

Through her work at the John Paul II Centre for Life in Auckland, Mrs Bayer had the honour of meeting the Pope four times.

The first occasion was in 1995 and she said his health was beginning to fade even then.

"I knelt before him and kissed his hand. At the time I was overwhelmed by his frailty."

Mrs Bayer said the Pope was a wonderful man who treated people with the most profound respect and she could see the genuine interest and concern in his eyes as she knelt before him.

Her entire family was saddened by his passing but believed he was now in a greater place.

"We used pray for the Holy Father during his time of suffering but today we pray to the Holy Father."