In the heart of St. Peter’s Square, where the golden glow of streetlights casts soft halos on the cobblestone, a murmur rises with the evening air.
It is not the hum of conversation nor the rush of the city’s daily rhythm—it is prayer. Hundreds have gathered, their voices blending into a solemn plea for Pope Francis, who lies in a hospital bed, his health uncertain.
Among them stands Angela Maria Boskovitch-Terranova, a journalist whose career has taken her through the turmoil of North African conflicts, political upheavals in Europe, and the devastation in Iraq.
She has walked through the rubble of war-torn cities, listened to the cries of the displaced, and written stories that have shaken governments and moved hearts.
But that evening, she was not there as a journalist. She was there as a pilgrim, a believer, and a daughter of the church.
She clasps her hands tightly, her gaze lifted toward the towering silhouette of St. Peter’s Basilica. The same hands that once held a journalist’s notebook now tremble with prayer beads, her voice joining the chorus of faith that fills the square.
A leader who walks among the wounded
For Boskovitch-Terranova, Pope Francis is more than the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church; he is Rome’s heartbeat, its shepherd, its moral compass.
His absence is palpable, his illness a sorrow carried by all who have found hope in his presence.
“Even people who are not religious feel the presence of Pope Francis,” she shared with Radio Veritas Asia on February 28, 2025. “When he travels outside of Italy, we feel that he is away. So we need to come together and pray.”
Her connection to the pontiff deepened in 2021 when Pope Francis made history as the first world leader to visit war-torn Iraq.
For Boskovitch-Terranova, who had covered the region’s struggles firsthand, it was a moment of profound significance.
“I cannot stress enough how significant this trip was,” she says, her voice laced with emotion. “He walked through Baghdad, Mosul—places where churches had been attacked, where ISIS had torn down entire communities. And yet, his presence there was a sign for the world: Jesus Christ has overcome this terrorism and this war.”
Through the organization she co-founded with her husband, Omar Mohammed, the Mosul Eye Association, she worked tirelessly to aid in the recovery of Mosul.
It was this very organization that helped welcome Pope Francis to the war-ravaged Old City in March 2021. A banner held high by their young team bore the words of the Pope from his Wednesday audience on April 15, 2020: “L'amore per sua natura è creativo—l'amore è sempre creativo” Love by its nature is creative—love is always creative.
A personal encounter, a lasting impression
When Pope Francis returned from Iraq, Boskovitch-Terranova and her husband were granted an extraordinary private audience with him—over an hour in conversation, just the three of them, without intermediaries. Their dog, Grace, who attends Holy Mass daily, was present, too.
“He didn’t just speak about peace,” she recalls. “He became a living sign of it.”
That meeting, she says, was one of the most moving encounters of her life. She saw in Pope Francis not only the head of the Church but a man of humility, a pastor who walks among the wounded.
His deep empathy and his willingness to stand with those suffering left an imprint on her heart that no headline or byline ever could.
Now, as he battles illness, her faith compels her to give something back—not through ink and paper, but through whispered petitions, through tears shed in silent hope.
A prayer that transcends borders
As the night deepens, the rosary prayers continue in St. Peter’s Square. Candles flicker in the hands of the faithful, their warm light reflecting the devotion that unites people across continents.
For Boskovitch-Terranova, this vigil is more than a gathering—it is a testament to the love and gratitude the world holds for Pope Francis.
“We hope very much that he continues his healing and returns soon to Vatican City and his duties at the seat of St. Peter,” she says. “But of course, everything is in the hands of God. For those of us who love Pope Francis, the present is a painful time. There are days when I cry, thinking of him—he is like a member of our family. We pray that he will be back with us soon.”
In a career spent uncovering truths through the written word, Boskovitch-Terranova now finds solace in a different kind of communication—prayer. She bows her head, her lips moving in quiet devotion.
When asked to sum up Pope Francis in a single word, she does not hesitate.
“Humility,” she whispers.
And with that, she joins the voices of thousands, her faith now the most profound story she carries within her heart.
