After the recent appointment of Pope Leo XIV following Pope Francis, Busy Phillips discussed a memorable encounter with Pope John Paul II during her visit on View. This interaction took place when she was just 15 years old.
Phillips shared her story of having an abortion at that young age while grappling with her Catholic upbringing. “I was really trying to understand what it meant for me, how it affected my relationship with God,” she revealed, noting, “I felt it was the right choice, but processing it at 15 was incredibly challenging.”
She recalled a trip to Europe with a friend, mentioning a moment she described as a “confluence of rather sacred circumstances.”
She explained that she felt a strong push from behind, and a woman, turning quickly, told her, “You need me more than me.” In that moment, Phillips found herself in front of Pope John Paul II. “We spoke briefly, and he blessed me, gently holding my face,” she said.
Sarah Haynes, host of View, noted that the blessing seemed to serve as an answer for Phillips.
When asked about her reaction to receiving that blessing, Phillips responded, “It was like a rush of energy. I was shaking uncontrollably.”
Afterward, a crowd swarmed her. “People were all around me, pulling my hair, kissing my face, touching me because I was the only one he’d blessed,” she recalled.
This account is also found in her memoir, This Will Hurt a Little, where she mentions the date of the meeting aligns with her due date.
Phillips admitted, “I’ve never shared this publicly before. I’ve kept it very close. It feels incomplete without the forgiveness I seek, the kind that can only come from the Pope of Rome.”
Catch View on ABC on weekdays starting November 10th.
