Michael Keating’s Remarkable Encounter with Pope Francis and His Passing at 21

Michael Keating gained national attention as a child when Pope Francis singled him out during a visit to the United States in 2015. At that moment, amid the excitement of the pope’s first visit to the country, he instructed his driver to halt the vehicle. He had arrived at the Philadelphia airport and was departing in his black Fiat when he noticed a figure in the gathering crowd.

Keating made headlines as a result of this unexpected exchange. Tragically, he died at the age of 21 earlier this week. His encounter with the pope remains a memorable event in the timeline of the 2015 papal visit.