For the first time in history has a Pope performed a marriage ceremony on an airplane. This is exactly what Pope Francis did while traveling by plane during his visit to Chile and Peru.
It was on the Papal visit to Chile, 18th January 2018, that LatAm flight steward Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriaga and Stewardess Paula Podesta Ruiz were blessed by God and had Pope Francis marry them.
What started out as an initial brief conversation between the steward and the Pope turned out to surprise everyone. Pope Francis is known to be a true humble Christian, down to earth person and follower of one of the hardest attributes of the Catholic church that St. Augustine succinctly stated: “If you asked me what are the ways of God, I would tell you that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are meaningless.”
While Ciuffardi was attending to Pope Francis comfort during the flight, he asked Pope Francis if he would bless them since they were due to be married in their home parish in Santiago, but it was destroyed in an earthquake on February 27th, 2010, and they remained civilly married since then.
Pope Francis surprised the couple by asking “Well, do you want to get married?” Ciuffardi answered “Well, yes. Are you sure?” To which Pope Francis replied, “Are YOU sure?” and Ciuffardi immediately replied with extreme excitement “Yes! Let’s get married.”
Since they were in mid-flight Ciuffardi asked Ignacio Cueto, LatAm’s President to act as best man and the Popes prelates wrote up a handwritten marriage certificate.
Pope Francis then performed the ceremonial rites, and the couple was married. After which the Pope stated that this was a historical event since it is the first time a Pope has performed a wedding on an airplane.
Conclusion: many faithful Catholics dream of being married by the Pope, it is Gods hand that delivers those deserving of such an honor.
