Pope Francis Arrives Safely in Hungary - Papal Flight Encounter with Journalists on Plane and Receives Shirt of Christian Afghan who Fled

 APOSTOLIC JOURNEY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS

TO BUDAPEST, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CONCLUSIVE HOLY MASS
OF THE 52nd INTERNATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS, AND TO SLOVAKIA
(12-15 SEPTEMBER 2021)

GREETING OF THE HOLY FATHER TO
THE JOURNALISTS

 DURING THE DIRECT FLIGHT TO BUDAPEST

Papal flight
Sunday, 12 September 2021

_____________________________________

Bruni - Good morning everyone. Good morning Holy Father.

Pope - Good morning everyone.

Bruni

I think I share everyone's thoughts in saying that we are happy and grateful to see her. We are seventy-eight journalists and media operators, eight of which from the countries we will go to, then five from Hungary and three from Slovakia.   

 Thank you, Holy Father, for this greeting and for the words you wish to address to us.

Pope

Good morning to you. Thanks for the company. This flight has a little taste of farewell, because the Master of ceremonies leaves us: it is the last trip, because he has become a bishop. Then "the dictator on duty" leaves us [he turns and looks at Mons. Datonou with a smile]. He is good ... he too has been appointed bishop and gives way to a Monsignor, Giorgio is called, Indian [Mons. George Jacob Koovakad]: always smiles, always. He will be "a dictator with a smile"! Alitalia leaves us ... Many leave, but we resume travel and this is a very important thing, because we are going to bring the word and greetings to many people.

Thanks for coming, thanks Mons. Dieudonné, thanks Mons. Giorgio, "dictator who smiles". Thanks to Mons. Marini, thanks to all of you and thanks to Alitalia that has brought us so far. Today there is no dean, also in this flight Valentina [Alazraki] is not there, but there is [Philip] Pullella, I think: there he is, I see the landing strip [points to Pullella's head].

We move on, always remembering those who are not on the flight because they are our companions. Now I will come by to say goodbye, in a bit of a hurry because times are tight. Thanks.

FULL TEXT Source: Vatican.va unofficial Translation - Screenshot from source