Departure from Rome
This morning the Holy Father Francis began his 39th international Apostolic Journey, this time in the Kingdom of Bahrain on the occasion of the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence”.
Before leaving the Casa Santa Marta, the Holy Father met with three families of refugees from Ukraine, hosted by Italian families, accompanied by His Eminence Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for Charity. They consisted of the wife of an Orthodox priest, accompanied by two children, one aged eighteen and the other fourteen, from the region of Kropyvnytskyi, 150 kilometres from Mykolaiv, whereas the husband with the adult son remain in Ukraine; a thirty-year old mother with two children aged four and seven, who fled from the partially occupied region of Zaporizhzhia; and a woman aged fifty-three with a thirteen year-old gravely disabled child, with her seventy-three year old mother, from Kyiv.
He then transferred by car to Roma-Fiumicino International Airport, from where he departed at 9.45 on board an A330/ITA Airways aircraft bound for Awali.
The aircraft carrying the Holy Father landed at Sakhir Air Base in Awali at 16.36 local time (14.36 in Rome).
Telegram to the President of the Italian Republic
As he left Italian territory, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegram to the President of the Italian Republic, the Honorable Sergio Mattarella:
TO HIS EXCELLENCY
HON. SERGIO MATTARELLA
PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN REPUBLIC
PALAZZO DEL QUIRINALE
AS I LEAVE ROME BOUND FOR THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN, AS A PILGRIM OF PEACE AND FRATERNITY, TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEETING OF CIVILIZATIONS, RELIGIONS AND CULTURES, I WISH TO ADDRESS TO YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, MY RESPECTFUL GREETING, WHICH I ACCOMPANY WITH FERVENT WISHES FOR THE SPIRITUAL, CIVIL AND SOCIAL WELLBEING OF THE DEAR ITALIAN PEOPLE, TO WHOM I GLADLY SEND MY BLESSING.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Telegrams to Heads of State during the flight from Rome to Awali
During the flight to Awali, as the aircraft flew over Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, the Holy Father Francis sent the following telegrams to the respective Heads of State:
Overflight Greece
HER EXCELLENCY KATERINA SAKELLAROPOULOU
PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC
ATHENS
PASSING THROUGH GREEK AIRSPACE ON MY WAY TO BAHRAIN, I SEND GREETINGS AND PRAYERFUL GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS. UPON ALL IN THE NATION I INVOKE ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS OF UNITY, PROSPERITY AND PEACE.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Cyprus
HIS EXCELLENCY NICOS ANASTASIADES
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS
NICOSIA
FLYING OVER CYPRUS EN ROUTE TO BAHRAIN, I EXTEND PRAYERFUL GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, AND I WILLINGLY INVOKE UPON THE NATION ALMIGHTY GOD’S BLESSINGS OF FRATERNITY AND CONCORD.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Egypt
HIS EXCELLENCY ABDEL FATTAH EL-SISI
PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT
CAIRO
AS I FLY OVER EGYPT ON MY APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO BAHRAIN, I SEND GREETINGS AND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR EXCELLENCY AND YOUR FELLOW CITIZENS, TOGETHER WITH MY PRAYERS THAT THE ALMIGHTY WILL BLESS ALL IN THE NATION WITH HIS GIFTS OF JOY AND PEACE
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Jordan
HIS MAJESTY ABDULLAH II
KING OF THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN
AMMAN
AS I FLY OVER YOUR REALM ON MY WAY TO BAHRAIN, I SEND GREETINGS AND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR MAJESTY, THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND ALL JORDANIANS, TOGETHER WITH MY PRAYERS THAT THE ALMIGHTY WILL BESTOW UPON THE NATION HIS ABUNDANT BLESSINGS.
FRANCISCUS PP.
Overflight Saudi Arabia
HIS MAJESTY SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD
KING OF SAUDI ARABIA
RIYADH
AS MY JOURNEY TO BAHRAIN TAKES ME THROUGH YOUR COUNTRY’S AIRSPACE, I EXTEND GOOD WISHES TO YOUR MAJESTY, THE MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND ALL SAUDIS, TOGETHER WITH MY PRAYERS FOR THE PEACE AND WELLBEING OF THE NATION
FRANCISCUS PP.
