As pope looks on, Venezuelan asks girlfriend to marry
ROME (AFP) — A young Venezuelan lawmaker saw a meeting with Pope Francis as an auspicious time to pop the question, getting down on one knee to propose to his girlfriend while the pontiff looked on.
Dario Ramirez was part of a group of Venezuelan deputies visiting the Vatican on Sunday when, to general amazement, he asked his girlfriend to marry him, Italian media outlets reported Wednesday.
In a video posted on the website of Il Fatto Quotidiano, a daily newspaper, Ramirez is seen speaking briefly with the pope before making his move, with Francis at first surprised but then smiling warmly at the couple as cheers erupted.
Meanwhile, Pope Francis will launch an emotionally charged visit next week to Colombia, to call for reconciliation as the country emerges from Latin America’s longest civil war in a contested peace process.
In his fourth visit to his native region of the world since becoming pope four years ago, the 80-year-old Argentine now heads to one of Latin America’s most troubled countries.
On a five-day tour starting Tuesday, he will meet with victims of the war at a delicate time as the country gradually turns the page on more than half a century of conflict.
Colombia’s biggest guerrilla group, the FARC, has disarmed under a historic peace accord, though critics say the rebels are getting off too lightly.