Pope Francis thanked the 67 journalists accompanying him on a recent visit to Corsica, an island in the Mediterranean, during a return flight to Rome. The short flight, lasting less than 40 minutes, was unusual for the Pope, who typically holds press conferences with journalists on his travels.
On the plane, the Pope shared his observations of the many children he saw during his visit, saying that it’s a land “that has children.” He praised the journalists’ work and expressed gratitude to those covering his trip, including a group of journalists from the association Aigav who gave him a cake to celebrate his upcoming 88th birthday.
The cake was a surprise gift, made by a Roman bakery at no cost, in honor of the Pope’s birthday. It was presented to the Pope amidst cheers and applause, with Mexican journalist Valentina Alazraki, the dean of Vatican journalists, handing it over to him. The Pope smiled and repeated his thanks, calling them his “travel companions.”
Source: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-12/pope-in-corsica-i-was-happy-to-see-a-people-who-have-children.html