Pope Francis opts for rest over tradition on Luxembourg flight
During the Thursday flight from Rome to Luxembourg, Pope Francis did not walk through the aisle of the plane as usual to personally greet each media envoy. The director of the Holy See Press Office stated that such a situation "was not the first time."
26 September 2024 09:12
Pope Francis travelled from Rome to Luxembourg on Thursday morning, thus beginning the 46th foreign visit of his pontificate, during which he will also visit Belgium.
"I can't make it through"
When he stood before the media envoys after takeoff, he seemed somewhat tired. "Thank you for your service. I am at your disposal," he said. Pointing to the narrow aisle between the rows of seats, he added, "I don’t feel up to the ‘trip'."
"I greet you from here," he conveyed, then returned to his seat.
The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told the journalists on board that it was not the first time the 87-year-old pope did not come to greet the journalists. He also noted that the flight to Luxembourg was short.
The situation caused some concern among the journalists because during an even shorter flight a year ago to Marseille, France, Francis managed to greet them.
On Monday, Francis cancelled the audiences scheduled for that day, which the Vatican explained as "a mild flu" condition in the pope.
After an eight-hour visit to Luxembourg on Thursday, the pope will arrive in Brussels in the evening and remain until Sunday.
