The young Spaniard who has been confessed by the Pope: "I expected a Pope and I have found a parish priest"

Francisco Valverde, the young Spaniard who this Friday morning confessed to Pope Francis in the framework of World Youth Day (WYD) in Lisbon, has assured that he has met “a parish priest” more than ” a Pope”, and has assured that, after Francis' pardon, he feels that he has been “born again”.

“Thanks to the attitude of the Pope, to the closeness that he has, at no time has a person of difficult access been shown, I was expecting a Pope and I have almost found a priest from any parish”, he assured in statements to COPE chain.

Volunteer in the world organization of WYD and student of Communication at Loyola Andalucía University, this young man from Córdoba has “truly” felt that life for him “begins again” after having confessed to the Pontiff, according to his words on the radio station radio.

“That is to say, to put my life in front of who is the representative of Christ on earth, to receive his forgiveness, advice and blessing is to die and be born again,” he explained.

For him, it is a “privilege” to have been able to receive the sacrament of reconciliation from Pope Francis himself and he still does not fully believe that it happened. “I still don't really believe it,” he says, while acknowledging that the night before it was “quite” difficult for him to sleep.

The young man received the news of his election about a month ago and at first he did not believe it. Although the confession is secret, Valverde has revealed some details and has indicated that the Pope has invited him to “be brave”.