The Holy Father was accompanied by 50 journalists from 10 countries on his brief flight to Albania. During the flight, the Pope greeted each journalist one by one, wishing them “a good day of work and not of rest.”
“It will be a heavy day of work, a beautiful day of labor,” he added, while taking leave of them with his usual request: “Pray for me”.
Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See Press Office, was next to the Pope, “welcoming” him on the flight on behalf of the journalists. “We are very grateful that, despite the brief flight, you would dedicate a few minutes to greet us,” he said.
Fr. Lombardi presented the various media present which included the press, news agencies, television, radio and photography. “There are also many more [journalists] who have gone directly to Albania awaiting us, as well as the Albanian people who are rejoicing,” he said.
The Pope then addressed the journalists present. “Thank you for your help that does so much good, so that people, the world knows what the Pope is doing, what the Church is doing, in this case, in Albania.”
Albania, he continued, is “a country that has suffered very, very much. So much suffering!” However, it is also “a country that has managed to find a peace with different religions and this is a beautiful sign for the world: dialogue, peace, this balance which is in favor of governance.”
