Pope Francis met a delegation of the Italian Air Force on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its creation.
In his speech, the Pope remembered the 13 Italian airmen of the Kindu massacre. They were all killed on a UN peacekeeping mission in Africa in the 1960s. The Pope also reflected on the service currently provided by military aviation.
POPE FRANCIS
In the beginning, the presence of the military was necessary mainly in the tragic times of war. Today, as with other Armed Forces, the women and men of the Air Force intervene in many other contexts.
Pope Francis' meeting with the Italian Air Force took place right before the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto, the patron saint of aviation.
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