Pope Francis Gives Church Marriage to Civilly Married Flight Attendants In a Plane Over Chile

Pope Francis blesses flight-attendant couple (Carlos Ciuffardi and Paula Podest Ruiz) in an impromptu Catholic marriage on his papal flight over Chile

Photo courtesy: AFP/Getty Images (via Toronto Star)

Pope Francis, in a surprise move during his papal visit on January 18, gave a short church marriage to two civilly-married LATAM Airlines flight attendants at 36,000 feet over Chile. During the flight, when the pope came to learn of the civil marriage of Carlos Ciuffardi (41) and Paula Podest Ruiz (39) and their willingness to marry in a Catholic church, which did not come to be so far due to the destruction of their church in an earthquake, he blessed their marriage on the plane. The Guinness Book of World Records should mention this first record of a marriage by a pope on a flight.  

For details, kindly see the following:

• Love is in the air: Pope marries couple mid-flight during Chile visit (Jan. 18, 2018)
• Pope Francis marries couple on Chile flight (Jan. 18, 2018)
• In surprise, pope marries Chilean couple aboard papal flight (Jan. 18, 2018)
• Pope marries couple on plane over Chile (Jan. 18, 2018)
• Wing and a prayer: pope marries couple on plane over Chile (Jan. 18, 2018)
• Pope Francis marries couple in impromptu ceremony aboard papal plane (Jan. 18, 2018)
• Church conservatives question pope's airborne nuptials (Jan. 19, 2018)
• Pope Francis' airborne wedding of two flight attendants prompts conservative backlash (Jan. 19, 2018)
• Church conservatives question pope's airborne nuptials (Jan. 20, 2018)
• Pope Francis explains why he celebrated the airborne marriage of two flight attendants (Jan. 22, 2018)
• Pope defends airborne wedding, insisting the couple was ready (Jan. 22, 2018)

(Updated on January 23, 2018)