WCBC

Governor Larry Hogan met with Pope Francis today in Washington.

The governor was part of a group of 30 people who had a semi-private meeting with Pope Francis.

Hogan, who suffers from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma says he was honored to be blessed by the Pope on behalf of all cancer patients.

Hogan was the only one in the group who got an individual blessing.

The Pope also gave Hogan and his wife Yumi rosaries from the Vatican.

After the meeting, the governor issued the following statement:

"It was an incredible honor to meet His Holiness Pope Francis today in Washington and receive his blessings on behalf of all cancer patients. My faith, like the faith of countless other patients like me, gives me strength to defeat this disease, and continue to be the best public steward I can be for the people of this great state.

"I am inspired by the Pope’s words this week: He said that “Service is never ideological, for we do not serve ideas, we serve people." Working to make people’s lives better is something I can understand and will continue to put to work in my administration as well as my life."