On the plane from Santiago de Chile to Iquique, Francis marries, by surprise, two flight attendants of Latam airline.

“This sacrament means a lot...” Carlos and Paula still have tears in their eyes. Up to a few minutes before they were serving sandwiches and drinks to passengers on the Santiago-Iquique flight. He is a steward, she is a hostess.

They were supposed to get married in church but the 2010 earthquake destroyed their parish church in Santiago de Chile so they had only married civilly. But now they are husband and wife also for the Catholic Church because, for the first time, a Pope celebrated a marriage on a plane.

When they went to take the ritual photo with Francis, they asked him for a blessing. The Pope asked them if they were married, they replied that they were, but only civilly because of the earthquake. And surprise, Bergoglio proposed to marry them on the spot. They obviously agreed.

The owner of Latam airline, Ignacio Cueto, and Monsignor Mauricio Rueda were the official witnesses. The Pontiff celebrated the ritual while the Airbus was travelling at 36 thousand feet. And he said, “We hope that what you did inspires other couples around the world.”

A marriage certificate was drawn up immediately afterwards on a plain A4 sheet, which reads in Spanish:”On 18 January 2018, during the papal flight from Santiago to Iquique, Mr Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriaga and Ms Paula Podest Ruiz married, in the presence of the witness Ignacio Cueto. The Holy Father Pope Pope Francis has gathered the consensus”.

“Before declaring us husband and wife - Carlos, who has Italian origins, says - the Pope asked me smiling: but are you really sure?”.

Carlos Ciuffardi, 41 years old, and Paula Podest Ruiz, 39 years old, have two daughters, Rafaella, 6 years old, and Isabella, 4 years old. They have gladly announced the news to their colleagues and journalists. The first wedding celebrated by a Pope in the sky.