Pope Francis stumbles boarding plane to fly home


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

Pope Francis briefly lost his balance on the steps while boarding a plane as he left Greece.

He was caught by a gust of wind at Athens Airport before being helped on board by an aide.

Earlier, the Pope met students at a Catholic school in Athens in his final event of a five-day visit to Cyprus and Greece dominated by the plight of migrants seeking entry to Europe.

“When the temptation to close in on ourselves comes, look for others,” the Pope said.

He held brief talks on Monday with the Greek parliament's Speaker, Konstantinos Tassoulas, and with the leader of the main opposition party, Alexis Tsipras, who thanked him for “his unwavering defence of human rights and social justice".

During his visit, the Pope met the head of the Greek Orthodox Church and visited the Mavrovouni migrant tent camp on Lesbos, where he called their neglect of the “shipwreck of civilisation".

Pope Francis stumbled boarding the plane at Athens International Airport. AFP
Pope Francis stumbled boarding the plane at Athens International Airport. AFP

After his visit to the migration flashpoint, he celebrated mass for about 2,000 faithful in Athens, where he urged respect for the “small and lowly".

“I am trying to help you,” the pontiff told one group through his interpreter.

In his speech, he warned that the Mediterranean “is becoming a grim cemetery without tombstones” and that “after all this time, we see that little in the world has changed with regard to the issue of migration".

The root causes “should be confronted — not the poor people who pay the consequences and are even used for political propaganda”, he added.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, 1,559 people have died or gone missing attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing this year.

More images from Pope's trip

  • Pope Francis leads a Mass at Megaron Concert Hall in Athens. AP Photo
    Pope Francis leads a Mass at Megaron Concert Hall in Athens. AP Photo
  • A policewoman guards a closed avenue ahead of the Mass by Pope Francis in the Greek capital. AP Photo
    A policewoman guards a closed avenue ahead of the Mass by Pope Francis in the Greek capital. AP Photo
  • Pope Francis meets migrants during his visit to an identification centre on the Greek island of Lesbos. AFP
    Pope Francis meets migrants during his visit to an identification centre on the Greek island of Lesbos. AFP
  • Pope Francis with a young migrant on the island of Lesbos. AFP
    Pope Francis with a young migrant on the island of Lesbos. AFP
  • Pope Francis with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, right, on the Greek island of Lesbos. AFP
    Pope Francis with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, right, on the Greek island of Lesbos. AFP
  • The leader of the Roman Catholic Church speaks with an imam on the Greek island of Lesbos. AFP
    The leader of the Roman Catholic Church speaks with an imam on the Greek island of Lesbos. AFP
  • Returning to the island for the first time since 2016, the Pope described the neglect of migrants as the 'shipwreck of civilisation'. Reuters
    Returning to the island for the first time since 2016, the Pope described the neglect of migrants as the 'shipwreck of civilisation'. Reuters
  • The Pope visited refugees at the Mavrovouni camp, which accommodates about 2,300.
    The Pope visited refugees at the Mavrovouni camp, which accommodates about 2,300.

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Updated: December 06, 2021, 3:39 PM