Rock legend Rod Stewart has been in Rome for a holiday with his wife Penny Lancaster this week and the couple even mingled with the crowds in front of the Vatican to get a glimpse of Pope Francis.
The Pope, however, spotted the famous rock star and his wife and went up to them to extend a handshake. It was not hard to miss Stewart though as he wore a paisley suit that he matched with a colorful printed floral shirt.
Lancaster shared a photo of the Pope shaking their hands on Instagram. In another post, Stewart's wife of more than 10 years also shared her view from where she sat as the Pope said mass.
"The heavens open[ed] and so did the umbrellas and our hearts," Lancaster wrote in the photo caption. "The Pope asked us to pray for him and we where presented with blessed rosaries and celebrated with a traditional Italian lunch. #vatican"
The couple managed to get a special audience with the Pope after participating in a charity auction in 2017. They apparently donated $20,000 to The Carol Keating Foundation during its breast cancer awareness event last October. The donation equaled to a VIP spot at the Papal Mass at the Vatican.
In a GQ interview in 2015, Stewart revealed that his family belonged to the Church of England but his father was more aligned to Catholicism.
As a rock star, Stewart's young life was filled with women, alcohol and drugs but after meeting Lancaster, who became his third wife, Stewart's interest in God apparently revived.
Lancaster explained in a 2012 interview that she and her husband started going to church more often after the 9/11 attacks. She revealed, "Wherever we were on tour, if there was a church and the door was open, we'd go in and have a prayer."
Stewart's wife said that she has fervently prayed for her husband to strengthen his relationship with God. She learned later on that the rock star was actually praying for the same thing, as he did not want his relationship with Lancaster to end up in another divorce.
The couple, who have been together since 1999, decided to marry in 2007. They have two sons together, while Stewart also have four grown kids from his previous marriages.
