Canadian children of fallen UN worker meet Pope Francis

Twochildren whose Montreal father died in the 2010 Haiti earthquake had a chance to meet Pope Francis on Friday.

Emilie, 7, and Maxime, 6, each received a white plastic rosary bead necklace from the popeafter they handed him flowers.

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The siblingsare the children of Jean-Philippe Laberge, a Canadianwho was working as a civil and military coordination officer for the UNpeacekeeping mission in Haiti at the time of his death.

Laberge, who grew up in Montreal,previously worked for the United Nationsin Kosovo and in the Gaza Strip.

Maxime said he didn't know what to think when he learned he would meet the pope. He wasn't even sure who he was.

"They told me he was the most important person in the world," he said.

Now, he said, "he feels happy."

The children's grandmother, Vronique Conze, said the meeting was special and will be topic of conversation for years to come.

"I think they were very surprised by the gift they received, and they both said, 'Oh, this was very nice,'" she said.

"He was very nice as a person, and they felt that."

Later in the morning, Francis took part in a wreath-laying ceremony for UN staff who have fallen in the line of duty. That wasfollowed by a moment of silence.