As a child he was poor and polishing people’s shoes paid for a suit for his first communion. The scene on the papal flight on Friday was a moment of liberation, pride and gratification. Speaking to journalists during the first part of his transatlantic journey, Francis talked about the mysterious image of Our Lady of Guadalupe: “This is an object of God”. The Pope also received a sombrero as a gift.
Flight from Rome to Havana: At one point during the papal flight a Mexican journalist suddenly stooped down to polish the Pope’s shoes. Why? “My family was poor and when I was a child,” the journalist explained, “I was able to buy my suit for my first communion by working as a shoeshiner”. For the shoeshiner-turned-correspondent, to be able to polish the Pope’s shoes on board the papal flight from Rome to Havana, is a cause of immense pride, gratification, not to mention liberation. This is a trip Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill have both wanted very much, as have Mexicans: speaking to journalists on board the 12-hour flight from Rome to Cuba, the Pope talked about Our Lady of Guadalupe, he was given a sombrero as a gift, he sent his wishes via video to readers of Italian newspaper La Stampa and he introduced the Colombian prelate who as of the Pope’s next visit will be in charge of organising papal trips, replacing Alberto Gasbarri who is retiring.
“Thank you for your presence, for the work that you do,” the Pope told journalists. “This trip is demanding and quick but one that my brother Kirill, myself and the Mexican people wanted very much.” Francis reminded journalists that “the other day, at the start of Wednesday’s General Audience, your Mexican dean (Televisa correspondent Valentina Alazraki, who has been covering papal visits since John Paul II’s trip to Mexico in January 1979, Ed.) was waiting for me as if to take me on a trip back in time with all Cantinflas’ films . So I entered Mexico through Cantinflas’ door, which is funny”.
“My innermost wish,” he added, “is to stand before Our Lady of Guadalupe, that mystery that has been the object of so much study and yet no human explanation can be found”. The Pope was referring to the mystery of how the image of the mestizo (mixed-race) Virgin formed on the native cloak (known as a tilma) of Mexican peasant Juan Diego. “Even the most scientific of studies says: ‘This is an object of God’. And this is what it drives Mexicans to say: ‘ I am an atheist but I am Guadalupan’. Some Mexicans, not all of them are atheist!” Francis said smiling.
“There is something else I wish to tell you,” the Pope added: “this is the last trip Mr. Gasbarri is going to be joining us on. He has been working at the Vatican for 47 years now. And he has been in charge of papal visits for 37 years. I mention this now, so that we can take the opportunity over the next few days to express our gratitude to him and also to organise a little celebration here on the way back… Mgr. Mauricio Rueda will take over as trip organiser. Welcome!”
Before Francis went round the cabin greeting each journalist individually, exchanging a word or two with each one, signing books, accepting letters and messages as well as gifts of all kinds – from a white rose to a basket of biscuits – Valentina Alazraki gave him a big sombrero which the Pope wore for few moments. “That’s so you feel Mexican!” the television journalist said. “I gave the first one to John Paul II 37 years ago. He developed a collection of them because he visited five times. Benedict XVI wore it in Guanajuato and said he felt like a Mexican. So now it’s your turn.” And there is an interesting story behind this hat: “This sombrero came from Cuba. A Mexican family had taken it to Cuba but wasn’t able to give it to you so they left it with me. I promised that if you kept your promise to go to Mexico, I would give it to you. What I hadn’t imagined was that the sombrero would be making its way back to Cuba.”
http://www.lastampa.it/vaticaninsider/eng
