On the aircraft that took him to Cyprus this morning, the Holy Father Francis, as usual, went to greet the media operators accompanying him on the papal flight.

Introduced by a greeting from the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, the Pope addressed the following words to the journalists:

Words of the Holy Father

Matteo Bruni:

Good morning to you all, welcome. Today, Holy Father, there are 77 journalists accompanying you, including several from the countries we will be visiting. We are grateful and happy to be departing with you again. Have a good day, have a good trip!

Pope Francis:

Thank you! Good morning, and many thanks for your company. It is a good journey, and we will also encounter some sorrows. I hope we can all welcome all the messages we will find. Thank you very much for your company!