Review: Bono humbles himself in a new memoir
Bono speaks of being “a little bit in awe” of his late father
Bono spoke about the death of his father, Fionnuala Lynch, in an Irish newspaper article on April 21, when a journalist asked the legendary singer what he thought about one of Ireland’s most influential politicians who had died only weeks before.
“I was a little bit in awe,” Bono said. “He was a very humble person and had a very strong sense of what life was about. He was a very close family man and very grounded.
“It could be said he was a little bit of a father figure to me, not in a way that I would describe as that of any type of father. He was just really grounded,” Bono said. “But I feel very close to him as a person and as a father. I feel very close to him in a way I don’t think I’ve felt before.”
The rock star spoke about his father’s death during a visit to the city of Lourdes, France, where he is promoting one of his latest projects, called “We Are Strong.” Bono met Pope Benedict, the archbishop of Lourdes, in 2009.
“We were joined by the Holy Father and his wife and he was very kind to me. It was a very, very inspiring meeting and the spiritual experience that we met as a family, it sort of made and brought things to the forefront in terms of the importance of family,” Bono said.
“Obviously I know he’s from Lourdes, he’s really a very different sort of politician, so much more of a spiritual leader, and that’s what I think is important…. There’s a lot of other examples of spiritual leadership and I think that’s important.
“I think that’s what has meant a lot for me and I’m sure it’s made a lot of people feel a lot better about and understand the spiritual experience and being a family.
“The spirit that I feel around this pope, and the person that I met yesterday on my visit. I was so happy to meet him. I think the pope has kind of instilled a great sense of the importance of a spiritual aspect of leadership.
“People are starting to listen, the people of Lourdes are starting to listen, the people of Africa are starting to