Vatican

By Barbara Serra in Europe on May 15th, 2009

On the last day, I met him.

After shadowing his every step for a week, I met Pope Benedict XVI on the return flight.

Veterans of papal trips told me it was tradition for any journalist on their 'virgin' flight to get a picture taken with the pope.

However, as the group got bigger, and the popes got older, that tradition fell by the wayside.

By Barbara Serra in Europe on May 8th, 2009

A news conference at 11,000 metres was always going to be slightly different.

Add to that an interviewee who is the spiritual leader of more than 1.1 billion Catholics around the world and you have an initial press conference of Benedict XVI's first trip to the Middle East.

The conference took place on the papal plane as the entourage headed from Rome to Jordan.

Banish any mental images you may have of Air Force One. Prayer Force One, as some journalists have artfully dubbed it, is a humble Alitalia Airbus A320, which is normally part of the general fleet until it occasionally receives a higher calling.

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