On board the Iberia Airways flight carrying Pope Leo XIV from Tenerife back to Rome, the captain made an announcement. A technical problem had been detected and the plane could not take off. Moments later, the Pope and part of his entourage left the aircraft.
I was one of about 80 journalists on board traveling with the Pope for his visit to Spain between June 6 and 12, and we were flying on an Iberia Airways flight back to Rome. When traveling, the Pope uses a regular plane, and departs on an ITA plane, while the host country often provides the plane on the way back.
Journalists traveling with the Pope sit in the back of the plane, while the Pope, cardinals, bishops and Vatican officials sit in the front. We pay business class fares for economy class seats, but in exchange we can meet the Pope on the way out, when he holds a press conference with reporters on the flight back. The food is much better on Papal flights, with special menus printed with the Pope’s coat of arms, which also decorates the headrests.
Papal planes have had technical problems in the past, but a plane carrying the Pope not being able to take off is unprecedented. It is considered an honor for local airlines to transport the Pope, and whether it is Aereo Dili in Timor-Leste or Emirates in the United Arab Emirates, the flights usually run smoothly. So when Iberia’s captain made the announcement, there was chaos in the onboard press group.
Eventually we were told that we must disembark and word began to circulate that the Pope had been offered a private plane by the King of Spain to return to Rome. I watched as Pope Leo walked down the runway to board, while we journalists waited for another plane to return to Rome.
(Elisabetta Trevisan- Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
It was a chaotic end to what had been a historic visit by Pope Leo to Spain. The first American Pope, who speaks fluent Spanish, drew huge crowds in Madrid, including about 1.2 million at a mass and procession. He became the first pontiff to address the Spanish parliament, receiving a seven-minute standing ovation from representatives across the country’s deeply polarized political spectrum.
The high turnout was surprising, with the Pope telling CNN on the outbound flight that he knew he was competing with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, who had a show in Madrid the night Leão arrived. After much speculation that Bad Bunny might somehow appear at a papal event, the Vatican confirmed that the two had a brief private meeting, although no photos were released.
But the most memorable moment of the trip happened at the Sagrada Familia basilica, in Barcelona. One hundred years after the death of Antoni Gaudí, the visionary architect behind the building, the Pope celebrated Mass in the basilica and blessed the tower of Jesus Christ, which makes it the tallest church in the world. Choir of singers from Europe’s oldest choir sang as the basilica was illuminated by a light and fireworks show. Drone lights even made Gaudí’s face light up the night sky.
(Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
In addition to the big events, the Pope also found time for more discreet moments. He met migrants in the Las Raices camp in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, highlighting the plight of those who risk their lives in wooden boats to cross the sea from West Africa to Europe. The Pope also condemned migrant smugglers, telling them to “stop” and “repent”, adding that they would face “divine justice”. He used the last part of his visit to Spain to travel to the Canary Islands, an important entry point for new migrants into Europe, to highlight the migration situation, a central priority of his papacy. The Pope also met privately with abuse survivors and called on Spanish bishops to listen to victims and make reparations.
Perhaps the most memorable part of the visit was seeing the Pope appear more relaxed and happy since the beginning of his pontificate. He spoke spontaneously – something rare in Leo – when encouraging young people to consider getting married and starting a family, and when talking about his time playing soccer and football in his youth. He also mentioned that he continues to play tennis and exercise.
Leo seemed to be having fun. On one occasion, he entered the plane’s cabin during the flight from Madrid to Barcelona, speaking to the pilots on the onboard radio and waving to the military escort plane. On several occasions he enchanted the public in the popemobile by making the “six-seven” gesture with his hands, something he likes to do frequently.
The fact that the Pope used the King of Spain’s plane meant that journalists were not able to ask questions at the end during the onboard press conference, which is a rare opportunity for an extended dialogue between the Pope and journalists.
The last two papal trips have had dramatic and unplanned moments. From President Donald Trump’s extraordinary criticism of the Pope on the eve of his trip to Africa in April, to the unprecedented termination of a papal flight, Leo’s pontificate is generating many surprises.
