Farewell Ceremony at Iqaluit International Airport
Telegram to the Governor General of Canada
Telegrams to Heads of State
Farewell Ceremony at Iqaluit International Airport
At the end of the meeting with the young and the elderly, the Holy Father Francis transferred by car to Iqaluit International Airport where, at 19.40 (1.40 in Rome), the farewell ceremony from Canada took place.
On arrival, the Pope was received by the Governor General of Canada, the Honorable Mary Simon, at the entrance of the VIP Hall where a brief meeting took place. Then, after the Guard of Honour and the greeting to the delegations, Pope Francis boarded an A330/ITA Airways aircraft bound for Italy.
The aircraft carrying the Holy Father on the return from his Apostolic Journey in Canada departed from Iqaluit International Airport at 20.14 (02.14 in Rome) and arrived at Leonardo da Vinci Rome-Fiumicino Airport at 08.06.
Telegram to the Governor General of Canada
Immediately after his departure by air from Iqaluit, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the Governor General of Canada, the Honorable Mary Simon:
HER EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HONOURABLE MARY SIMON
GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA
OTTAWA
AS I DEPART FOR ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO CANADA, I ONCE AGAIN WISH TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO GOD FOR THE GRACES RECEIVED OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS. WITH RENEWED GRATITUDE FOR THE HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO ME BY THE CANADIAN PEOPLE, I ASSURE YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS OF MY CONTINUED PRAYERS ON THE PATH OF RECONCILIATION AND PEACE.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Telegrams to Heads of State
During the flight from Iqaluit to Rome, as the aircraft flew over Denmark (Greenland), Ireland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, returning finally to Italy, Pope Francis sent the following telegrams to the respective Heads of State:
Overflight Denmark (Greenland)
HER MAJESTY MARGRETHE II
QUEEN OF DENMARK
AMALIENBORG PALACE
COPENHAGEN
ON MY RETURN TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO CANADA, I RENEW MY GREETINGS OF GOOD WISHES TO YOUR MAJESTY, AND PRAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS ALL YOUR PEOPLES WITH HIS ABUNDANT GIFTS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Ireland
HIS EXCELLENCY MICHAEL D. HIGGINS
PRESIDENT OF IRELAND
DUBLIN
AS I FLY OVER IRELAND ON MY RETURN TO ROME FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC VISIT TO CANADA, I SEND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE IRISH PEOPLE. ASSURING ALL OF YOU OF MY PRAYERS, I INVOKE UPON THE NATION GOD’S ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight United Kingdom
HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
BUCKINGHAM PALACE
LONDON
AS I FLY ONCE AGAIN THROUGH THE AIRSPACE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO CANADA, I RENEW MY GREETINGS AND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR MAJESTY, THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE NATION, AND ASSURE YOU OF A REMEMBRANCE IN MY PRAYERS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight France
HIS EXCELLENCY EMMANUEL MACRON
PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC
PARIS
RETURNING TO ROME FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC VISIT TO CANADA, I RENEW MY GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE. WITH THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS, I INVOKE UPON ALL OF YOU GOD’S BLESSINGS OF PROSPERITY AND PEACE.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Germany
HIS EXCELLENCY FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER
PRESIDENT OF GERMANY
BERLIN
AS MY RETURN FLIGHT TO ROME TAKES ME OVER GERMANY FOLLOWING MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO CANADA, I ASSURE YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS OF MY PRAYERS THAT ALMIGHTY GOD WILL BLESS THE NATION WITH HIS GIFTS OF UNITY AND PEACE.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Switzerland
HIS EXCELLENCY IGNAZIO CASSIS
PRESIDENT OF THE SWISS CONFEDERATION
BERN
RETURNING TO ROME AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO CANADA, I ONCE AGAIN SEND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND THE PEOPLE OF SWITZERLAND, TOGETER WITH THE ASSURANCE OF MY PRAYERS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Arrival - Italy
HIS EXCELLENCY
HONORABLE SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
PALAZZO DEL QUIRINALE
AS I RETURN FROM MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO CANADA, ENRICHED BY THE ENCOUNTER WITH MANY PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS OF THE PLACE, AND ESPECIALLY BY THE EXPERIENCES OF CONTACT WITH THE NATIVE PEOPLES, I WARMLY EXTEND TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND TO THE DEAR ITALIAN NATION, FERVENT WISHES OF SERENITY AND PROSPERITY, ASSURING YOU OF MY CONSTANT PRAYER.
FRANCISCUS PP.
