Farewell Ceremony at Marseille International Airport
Telegram to the President of the French Republic
Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic
Farewell Ceremony at Marseille International Airport
At the end of Holy Mass, the Holy Father Francis left the Vélodrome Stadium and transferred by car to Marseille International Airport for the farewell ceremony.
Upon arrival, the Pope was received by the President of the French Republic, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron, and his wife. Together they proceeded to the Hélène Boucher Hall where a brief private meeting took place. At the end of the meeting, after the greeting of the respective delegations and the local entourage, the Holy Father and President Macron passed through the Guard of Honour and took their leave. Then Pope Francis boarded a neo/ITA Airways A320, and departed for his return to Italy.
The aircraft carrying the Holy Father on his return from the Apostolic Journey to Marseille for the conclusion of the Rencontres Méditerranéennes took off from Marseille International Airport at 19:28 and landed at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport in Rome Fiumicino at 20:37.
Telegram to the President of the French Republic
Immediately after his departure from Marseille International Airport, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the President of the French Republic, His Excellency Mr. Emmanuel Macron:
HIS EXCELLENCY EMMANUEL MACRON
PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC
PARIS
AS I LEAVE FRENCH TERRITORY ON MY RETURN FROM MY APOSTOLIC VISIT TO MARSEILLE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR YOUR WELCOME. I HOPE THAT THESE RENCONTRES MÉDITERRANÉENNES, IN WHICH I HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO TAKE PART, WILL BEAR ABUNDANT FRUIT FOR PEACE AND BROTHERHOOD BETWEEN PEOPLES. GOD BLESS YOU.
FRANCIS
Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic
Upon his return to Italy from his journey to Marseille for the conclusion of the Rencontres Méditeranéennes, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, the Honorable Sergio Mattarella:
HIS EXCELLENCY
HON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
QUIRINAL PALACE
00187 ROME
ON MY RETURN FROM MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO MARSEILLES, WHERE I HAD THE JOY OF MEETING BISHOPS AND MAYORS OF COUNTRIES BORDERING THE MARE NOSTRUM, AS WELL AS THE LOCAL CATHOLIC COMMUNITY AND VARIOUS EXPONENTS OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS, I EXPRESS TO YOU, MR PRESIDENT, MY CORDIAL GREETINGS AND ASSURE YOU OF A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR THE PROSPERITY OF THE ENTIRE ITALIAN NATION, ON WHICH I INVOKE EVERY BLESSING FROM HEAVEN.
FRANCIS
