I met him when I was 5 years old. He was quite ill at the time and what was supposed to be a private audience turned into a general one. There was a large crowd at the Vatican that day. My mother and I became separated in the melee. The only thing I remember is two strong arms with brown sleeves, swooping down to lift me up, place me on his shoulders, grab my mother and escort us out of the Vatican. To this day, I am a great admirer or the Franciscans :-)
(I have a soft spot for Franciscans too. I have a special devotion to St. Anthony of Padua, and I will say that I've met some fairly kooky and way-out Franciscans but I have never met a mean one or one who wasn't animated by a very sincere love of God.)
The personal anecdotes offered on FR continue to amaze me!