The Pope Officiated a Wedding on a Plane: “He Told Me It’s Historic”
One lucky couple had a blessed beginning to their marriage. On Thursday, January 18, Pope Francis—leader of the Catholic church—officiated a wedding for two flight attendants on a plane.
The bride, Paola Podest, and the groom, Carlos Ciuffardi, had married in 2010, in a civil service. However, the couple told Pope Francis that they were unable to enjoy a formal church ceremony due to the earthquake that leveled Chile in February 2010.
The Pope was on a flight from Santiago, and was moved when he heard the couple’s story, offering to wed the pair mid-flight en route to the city of Iquique. “He told me it’s historic,” Ciuffardi said (via ABC News). “That there has never before been a pope who married someone aboard a plane.”
According to the groom, Francis also had some words of encouragement for the pair, who share two kids, ages 6 and 3. “This is the sacrament that is missing in the world, the sacrament of marriage,” the pope said to the couple. “May this motivate others to get the sacrament of marriage. I’ll do it for this reason.”
To celebrate the occasion, the bride and groom took a mini-moon at the beachside destination.
Related Articles
