Photos: Pope Francis conducts wedding for flight attendants Paula and Carlos 36,000ft above sea-level

Pope Francis has made history by performing a wedding ceremony for two flight attendants on board a plane travelling between cities in Chile.

Paula Podest Ruiz, 39, and Carlos Ciuffardi Elorriga, 41, had been married earlier in a civil service but asked the Pope to bless their marriage.  “Do you want me to marry you?” he said.


The couple said they were unable to conduct a ceremony in their church in the Chilean capital, Santiago, after it was damaged in an earthquake in 2010 so Pope Francis suggested performing the brief ceremony on his short flight from Santiago to the city of Iquique in northern Chile.

He then carried out a Catholic wedding service for the couple, lining up the airline’s boss as a witness.  A travelling cardinal provided a hand-written religious marriage document on a single sheet of paper, which was signed by the bride, groom, and witness.