A zucchetto from the Pope that changed this boy’s life | ABS-CBN

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A zucchetto from the Pope that changed this boy’s life

A zucchetto from the Pope that changed this boy’s life

Rose Eclarinal,

ABS-CBN News

 | 

Updated May 06, 2025 09:41 PM PHT

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VATICAN CITY – Against the iconic backdrop of St. Peter’s Basilica, and with final preparations in full swing for the much-awaited conclave on May 7, 13-year-old Simone Gabriele Caalaman recalled his face-to-face encounter with Pope Francis during a school visit to the Vatican in 2019.

A top-performing student at a school in Rome, Simone—a precocious Filipino boy whose parents migrated to Italy for a better life—was chosen by his school to speak with the Pope.

“It was a big privilege,” he said.

He described how thrilling it was to see the Pope in person, someone he had only seen on television wearing a special skullcap, or zucchetto.

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“When I finished my speech, the Pope patted me two or three times on the head, and then he took off his zucchetto and placed it on my head. I was frozen for a moment: He gave me a signature piece of his attire,” he recalled.

After receiving the unexpected gift, Simone, who also loves reading, became an ardent researcher on all things related to the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope.

“When I’m not studying, I look up random things about church vestments, church history, and other peculiarities of the Roman Church. I dare say, it’s very refreshing,” he said.

Simone also believes that after receiving the zucchetto, his family began to receive more blessings.

“It was the intercession,” he said.

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“It deepened our faith and, I would say, helped us more because we prayed more. I prayed more, trusted more in God, and read scripture more,” he added.

His father, Christian Caalaman, showed us the special box where they keep the Pope’s zucchetto. He confirmed their family belief that more blessings came, especially financially.

As the conclave begins, Simone has researched every one of the 133 cardinal-electors who will vote for the next Pope.

His only wish: for them to choose the right leader for the Church, someone who listens to the Holy Spirit.

“What I humbly ask God to give us through the cardinal-electors is a Pope who is compassionate and has great religious zeal.”

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Simone and his family feel deeply blessed to have received such a rare and personal gift from Pope Francis.

He says he will keep the zucchetto safe—until the day Pope Francis becomes a saint—when it may become a firsthand relic of the 266th Pontiff.

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