Pope Francis has made history by performing a
wedding ceremony for two flight attendants on board a plane travelling
between cities in Chile.
Paula Podest Ruiz, 39, and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga, 41, had been
married earlier in a civil service but asked the Pope to bless their
marriage. “Do you want me to marry you?” he said.
The couple said they were unable to conduct a ceremony in their
church in the Chilean capital, Santiago, after it was damaged in an
earthquake in 2010 so Pope Francis suggested performing the brief
ceremony on his short flight from Santiago to the city of Iquique in
northern Chile.
He then carried out a Catholic wedding service for the couple, lining
up the airline’s boss as a witness. A travelling cardinal provided a
hand-written religious marriage document on a single sheet of paper,
which was signed by the bride, groom, and witness.
