Pope Francis blesses a man at the end of Mass Sunday in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. The pope blessed Harley-Davidson bikes and bikers as the Wisconsin motorcycle manufacturer celebrated its 110th anniversary with a parade and plenty of leather.

I am certainly not immune from the foibles of hometown proud.  Being in Wisconsin, USA, one of the international claims to fame we have is the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle.  This morning’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper has a great article on Pope Francis blessing and celebrating mass with a group of motorcycle riders in Rome to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 110th anniversary.

Rome — Several hundred Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners can add a papal blessing to their list of bragging rights about their Hog.

Before celebrating Mass on Sunday, Pope Francis blessed bikes and bikers from his popemobile as Harleys lined Via della Conciliazione, the street from St. Peter’s Basilica to the Tiber River. The blessing concluded a weekend of events on the Rome leg of the Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer’s celebration of its 110th anniversary.

Paolo Forbicini’s Harley-Davidson Fat Boy was one of the bikes blessed by Pope Francis. Forbicini, a Catholic from Milan, said he was proud to have the pontiff’s blessing bestowed on his ride.

After the blessing, leather-clad bikers sat alongside nuns and other worshippers for a traditional Catholic Mass. Forbicini said celebrating his first Mass in St. Peter’s Square was even more special with all his fellow bikers . . . Read the entire article here.