Pope Francis has performed an impromptu mid-air wedding for two flight attendants during a journey between two cities in Chile – the first time a pope has performed such a ceremony in a plane.
Vatican News reports that the couple – Paula Podest Ruiz and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga – had a civil union in 2010 but that a planned ceremony at their church in Santiago had to be cancelled when it was badly damaged in an earthquake.
The Pope conducted the ceremony at the front of the LATAM Airlines plane. The couple, who have two young children, reportedly said they were overwhelmed with emotion after the brief ceremony.
Greg Burke, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed the ceremony was “totally legit”.
The hand-written marriage certificate – penned by a cardinal – records the rather unusual location of the ceremony.
