CNS

 

Before leading a rally with the young people of Sardinia, Pope Benedict XVI held a lower-decibel encounter with 30 of the island's centenarians.

Their wish for the 81-year-old pontiff? That he enjoy a life as long as theirs.

Sardinia, an Italian island known for the longevity of its residents, hosted the pope for a one-day pastoral visit Sept. 7. The pope celebrated an outdoor Mass for 80,000 people at a Marian sanctuary in the seaport of Cagliari, met with priests and religious, and addressed youths in a city square.