The small airline Aero Dili has never had such a prominent passenger before. For safety reasons, Francis was given an unusual extra.
On the way to the last stop of his longest foreign trip to date, to Singapore, Pope Francis was provided with unusual in-flight reading material. The small airline Aero Dili from East Timor provided all passengers of the papal delegation with a prayer card before take-off from the capital Dili. It contained requests for divine assistance for six major faiths. The three-and-a-half-hour flight was completely free of turbulence.
For the Catholics on board and their 87-year-old leader, it said: “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. We ask that you grant us a safe journey, with good and pleasant weather. Give us the guidance of your holy angels, including the flight crew, so that they bring us safely to our destination. We also ask that our family we left behind be comforted in peace until we can finally be in contact with them again.”
There were also prayer formulas for Protestant Christians, Muslims, and followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. According to the crew, the prayer cards are part of Aero Dili’s standard equipment. The airline in this very Catholic country only has one large aircraft, an Airbus A 320.
The Pope usually flies with an airline of the respective country when travelling abroad. On Friday, Francis returns to Rome from his twelve-day trip.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
