Pope Francis Officiates First Ever Wedding In The Skies

Pope Francis makes a historic move when he officiates a wedding on an airplane, the very first one. The wedding happened on a papal plane via LatAm Airlines, as the Pope flew from Santiago, Chile to the northern city of Iquique. According to a Fox News report, he married flight attendants Paula Podest, 39 and Carlos Ciuffardi, 41 with the CEO of LatAm Airlines serving as witness, as they were in mid-flight, 36,000 feet over Chile.

Newly Weds Share How Pope Francis Married Them

The couple shared to media how the wedding came to be. Both served on the papal flight and while they were seated next to the Pope during a group photo, he asked them if they were married. They responded by saying that they were married civilly. They never got their church wedding in 2010 as their church was destroyed by the earthquake that hit the country. According to the couple, it was Pope Francis who offered to marry them. He even asked them if they were sure, which they responded in the affirmative. Without much fanfare, he then blessed the rings the couple were wearing. He also asked for a witness to the ceremony. Ciuffardi asked LatAm Airlines CEO who was seated nearby to serve as witness. Pope Francis also requested one of the cardinals to draft the wedding certificate by hand. This was signed by the couple, the Pope and the witness. Pope Francis Says Sacrament Of Marriage Is Missing In The World According to a CNN report, the Pope told the couple why he agreed to officiate the ceremony. He said that “This is the sacrament that is missing in the world, the sacrament of marriage. I hope this motivates couples around the world to marry.” Aside from his blessing, he also gave rosaries to the bride and groom and offered them advice.