Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI has followed on from his predecessor Pope John Paul II and blessed skiers.
Meeting a group of winter skiwear clad ski instructors at the Vatican this week he told them that skiing takes place in a mountain world which reminds us of how small we are in the greater scheme of things and reminds us of the magnificence of creation.
He told the instructors that their work reflected Christian values by helping people to confront and overcome difficulties, sticking to a task and respecting rules.
Pope John Paul 2nd was a keen skier sine his boyhood in Poland and often made unannounced trips to the slopes, even in his later years just to enjoy the scenery.
His ski jacket was donated a few years ago to the recently established Pope John Paul II High School at Hendersonville in Tennessee where it will become a second class holy relic if (or more likely when) Pope John Paul the 2nd is made a saint.