For these babies, Papal kisses become moments of lifetime

For a first-time visitor, Pope Francis was quick to pick up on a great American political tradition - kissing babies.

For the ecstatic parents, the gestures Saturday afternoon as the pontiff's vehicle crept along Fifth Street toward Independence Hall clearly were thrills of a lifetime.

"I was shaking; I was crying. It was very emotional - and my husband was brought to tears as well," said Alma Salomon, mother of 4-week-old Mateo.

So, too, was Felicitas Valera. The pontiff's decision to kiss her 6-month-old son, Jacob, came out of the blue. Valera, husband Jose Miguel Almaraz, and their two daughters - Mexican immigrants who now live in South Philadelphia - waited six hours to see Francis.

When the pope finally came into view, they cheered and shouted his name.

Then, suddenly, Francis looked at them. He pointed at Jacob.

The infant was held up to him; the pope removed the boy's tiny hat and kissed his shock of black hair.

"I feel blessed," Almaraz said.

Another of the chosen was 6-week-old Luke Uebbing.

His parents, Jenny and Dave Uebbing, brought him with them last week from Denver, where she is a blogger and journalist for a Catholic news agency, and her husband works for the Archdiocese of Denver.

As they lined the motorcade route early Saturday, the couple were "very hopeful" that their newborn would be seen by Francis, Jenny said. Some of the hope came from a "sweet" police officer on the other side of the barricade, who was kind and encouraging to all of the kids as they waited for Francis.

"Then we saw the popemobile behind the motorcade of police cars and it was just surreal," Jenny Uebbing said. "We just jumped up and Dave held him and he made eye contact with one of the Vatican security guards and he came over and took him from us and held him up and gave him to Francis."

She called it "such a blessing" and praised Francis for coming to the United States. "It's just such a gift to us, as Catholics and as Americans," she said.

For Oscar Salomon, the moment seemed almost a miracle: He had been holding up his infant son, Mateo, hoping the pope would spot Mateo in the crowd.

"We were at the very end, so I didn't think it was going to happen," Salomon said later.

But it did. Out of nowhere, a Secret Service agent came up to the Salomon family and scooped up the still-sleeping baby - and carried him to the pontiff.

Francis kissed the boy and placed his hand on the baby's head, giving him a blessing.

The family came from Amarillo, Texas, with a group of about 30. Both mother and father are Mexican immigrants, but all five of their children were born in the United States.

Afterward, Mateo's siblings were all beaming with pride.

"Out of everyone, they picked him, my little brother," said Miguel, 12.

"It was very special."

cpalmer@phillynews.com 609-217-8305 @CS_Palmer

Stephanie Farr works for the Philadelphia Daily News.