Bono praises Pope's life

Bono paid tribute to Pope John Paul II during U2's show in Anaheim, California.

Five songs into the Dublin band's sold out concert at the Anaheim Pond the singer began speaking about the head of the Catholic Church, who passed away Saturday evening at the age of 84.

“I met the Holy Father and I was so taken by this showman, even if I didn't agree with everything he said,” the singer, whose father was Roman Catholic, said to the crowd as the band began playing the intro to new song ‘Miracle Drug'.

Bono carried on speaking about a time six years ago, when he met the church head and gave the Pope his trademark sunglasses.

“I said ‘Holy father, do you want a pair of fly shades?' and he said ‘yes' and he put them on and he made a face kind of like this.”

After scrunching his face to resemble Pope John Paul II, Bono showed the crowd he still carries with him a token of their meeting.

“He reached out and gave me this sort of crooked cross. It was designed by Michelangelo. They're my rosaries and I wear them around my neck, and I take them off and put them in my pocket during a rock show, you understand [why].”

The band then launched into the full version of ‘Miracle Drug' which Bono dedicated to “anyone who is sick.” Before the U2's next song, recent single ‘Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own', Bono called out the name of the Pope – “John Paul” to the crowd and described him as “an Italian who knew the right person to get into heaven.”

U2 played to the packed house for two hours including ‘Mysterious Ways', ‘The Fly' and ‘Electric Company', which he said the band had not played for years. On the final song of the night, ‘40', Bono took out the rosary given to him by the Pope and hung it on his microphone stand.

U2's 'Vertigo' tour continues in Los Angeles on Tuesday (April 5).