0
0
Pope Francis greets the directors and staff of ITA airways
Clementine Hall – Friday, 14 April 2023
The Pope travels to confirm brothers in the faith,
to be close to those who suffer,
to help those who work for peace.
Dear friends, good morning and welcome!
Thank you for your presence, thank you for “landing” here, in the Vatican.
I am happy and I welcome you with joy. In a way you are “the wings of the Pope”, because you allow me to fly to the ends of the earth, carrying the Gospel of hope and peace.
Sometimes I think: if Saint Paul had been able to travel by air, what would have happened?
And in fact, it happened with a Pope who bore his name. It was 4 January 1964 when Saint Paul VI boarded an Alitalia DC8 – those DC8s that are now retired – he became the first Pontiff in history to make an apostolic trip by air. Pope Paul VI very much wanted to make a short but very intense trip to the Holy Land. He had announced it with enthusiasm and emotion to the Council Fathers at the end of the second session of the Second Vatican Council.
This flight, which departed from Rome-Fiumicino and arrived in Amman, inaugurated papal flights throughout the world. It was a new way of carrying out the pastoral ministry of the Pope, which allowed the Bishop of Rome to reach very many people who would never have been able to make a pilgrimage to Rome.
After this first journey, Saint Paul VI made eight more, touching all the continents.
Then, with John Paul II, who made 104 international trips in the twenty-seven years of his pontificate, this form of mission became an integral part of the pontificate. In the same way, his successor, Benedict XVI, continues to travel, and so do I: in two weeks, God willing, I will begin my 41st pilgrimage by going to Hungary. And then there will be Marseilles, then Mongolia… and all these things that are on the waiting list..
The Italian National Carrier, which you represent here, usually accompanies the Successor of Peter and his entourage on the outward journey; and in some cases it also accompanies them on the return journey and on internal transfers, or from one country to another within the same journey. It is a very valuable service that requires competence, care and attention to many details, including the demanding logistics: the Pope, who, as you can see, has some mobility problems, knows this well, but thanks to your help, he continues to travel!
For me it is important to meet people, to meet communities, the faithful, believers of other religions, women and men of good will… To Meet people, to speak in person, is different from to being present with a message, or perhaps a video. It is not the same…
The Pope travels to confirm brothers in the faith, to be close to those who suffer, to help those who work for peace. All this is possible also thanks to you.
Therefore, I thank you and, as long as God wills, we will continue to fly together.
Dear friends, I wish you the best in your work. And thank you for this visit, thank you very much. May Our Lady accompany you. I wholeheartedly bless you and your families, And I ask you, please, to pray for me. Thank you!
