Pope gets a boxing belt

[VoxClamantis]

From cathnews.com:
 
 
Boxing belt for Benedict
 
Saying that faith "carries us through", flamboyant boxing promoter Don King, who once managed Muhammad Ali, yesterday presented a green and gold boxing belt to Pope Benedict following the pontiff's General Audience in St Peter's Square.

The Associated Press reports that King, who wore a blue suit with his usual high hair style primly flattened for the papal event, also gave the pope a handwritten letter asking for prayers for people ranging from US President George Bush to the world's sick and aged.

"I was thrilled to be there. It was a deep spiritual experience," King told The Associated Press after the two-hour open air audience.

In Rome to discuss the promotion of possible boxing matches in Italy, King had expressed his wish to meet with the pope and ask for prayers.

"Faith is the thing that carries us through," the 75-year-old King said as he walked through St Peter's Square, waving Italian and Vatican flags, and signing autographs.

Alan Hopper, director of public relations for Don King Productions, said the visit to the Vatican was arranged through a boxer who King represents, Italian super welterweight champion Luca Messi, whose brother Alessandro is a Catholic priest.

King was seated in the front row of a special section on the steps of St Peter's Basilica, and was able to hand the pope the gift and the letter as Benedict drove slowly by in an open jeep at the end of the audience.

King, who spent four years in prison for manslaughter, had hoped for a personal meeting with Benedict, but very few non-church people receive private time with the pope during his Wednesday audiences.

Before arriving in Rome, King toured Messi's hometown, Bergamo. During the visit to the northern Italian city, King began a fundraising campaign to restore the city's church of St Mary Major, which includes frescoed paintings on the walls of a pre-existing church buried underneath.


SOURCE
Don King gets Vatican 'ringside' seat (Independent Online, 21/3/07)

[OrlandoCatholic]

I knew something was fishy when King had the Vatican's flags with him at the Klitschko fight a week ago...
 

 
"ONLY IN AMERICA...ERR...THE VATICAN!"

[OLRansom]

Maybe Tyson will break down, convert, and decide to go to auricular confession - but the priest had better protect his ears, in case of a relapse.

[VoxClamantis]

Cool how Don King calls the Holy Father "Papa"... From FightNews:

 

King comments on Vatican visit!
March 21, 2007

 

Don King Visits the Vatican Promoter Presents Pope with 'World Champion of Peace and Love' Boxing Belts

Don King received a papal blessing and presented Pope Benedict XVI with specially made world championship boxing belts denoting the Pontiff as the "world champion of peace and love" at the Vatican today.

King sat in the first row on the steps of St. Peter's Basilica with an unobstructed view of the Pope's weekly public audience as a crowd estimated at 25,000 looked on from St. Peter's Square.

"I was very humbled by this divine experience and revelation," King said. "I presented him with the championship boxing belts because he is a fighter for Jesus, peace and love all over the world.

"I gave Papa a note asking him to pray for many people including my injured boxer Victor Burgos, America, President Bush, Laura Bush, our troops and all troops fighting for freedom around the world."

King also asked for a special prayer for the poor, downtrodden, aged and denied. He added: "It goes without saying that I asked the Pope to pray for my wife, Henrietta, my children and my grandchildren as well."

King was invited to Italy by Italian 154-pound champion Luca "Bergamo Bomber" Messi, who attended the general audience with King.

King gave ceremonial title belts to the Pope from the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, Italian Boxing Federation and the French Boxing Federation.
 

He a baaaaaad man! He shook up the world! And he so pretty, too...

 
The final day of King's whirlwind three-day tour of Italy also included an early-afternoon visit to the Italian Parliament's Chamber of Deputies where he spoke to Parliament Member Massimo Romagnoli and former Minister for Italians Abroad Mirko Tremaglia.

King ended the day by visiting many of the historic monuments including the Colosseum, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, The Roman Forum and others. As always, King granted all wishes for autographs and pictures wherever he went.