DEPARTURE FROM ROME
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi led civilian officials and prelates who sent off the Holy Father to Prague this morning from Rome's Ciampino airport.
Here is a report translated
from the Italian service of
Before leaving for Prague this morning, the Holy Father was greeted at Ciampiono airport by Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who had just returned to Italy from the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.
Berlusconi arrived at Ciampino before the Pope did. He conversed briefly with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and others who were there to see off the Pope, including Deputy Secretary of State Mons. Fernando Filoni; Cardinal Agostino Vallini, the Pope's Vicar in Rome; and the Italian ambassador to the Holy See, Antonio Zanardi Landi. Also present was Gianni Letta, undersecretary in the Prime Minister's cabinet.
Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican press director, told Vatican Radio that when the Pope arrived, the Italian Prime Minister greeted him and they had a brief conversation. Berlusconi told him about the G20 sunmmit, among other things, as he walked with the Pope to the steps of the Alitalia plane.
Italian PM and Pope Benedict
meet for the first time
since Berlusconi's sex scandal
ROME, Sept. 26 (AP) — Premier Silvio Berlusconi had his first meeting Saturday with Pope Benedict XVI since the Italian leader was linked to a sex scandal that broke last spring.
An Italian businessman arrested in Bari in a cocaine probe has told investigators that he paid young women, including a prostitute, to attend parties and dinners at Berlusconi's Sardinian villa and Rome residence. The prostitute has said in interviews that she spent the night with the premier.
Berlusconi is not under investigation in the scandal.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi says the Pope spoke briefly with Berlusconi on Saturday at Rome's Ciampino Airport. Lombardi says the two talked for two or three minutes with aides nearby and he emphasized "this was not a private meeting."
Berlusconi went out of his way to catch the Pope before Benedict took off for the three-day visit to the Czech Republic. The Italian news agency ANSA said Berlusconi's plane, bringing him back from the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, was supposed to land in Milan but switched instead to Rome so Berlusconi could see the Pope off.
Lombardi says he assumes the two exchanged pleasantries. Further details of their conversation were unavailable.
An Italian businessman who was recently arrested in Bari in a cocaine probe has told investigators he paid young women, including a prostitute, to attend parties and dinners at Berlusconi's Sardinian villa and Rome residence. The prostitute has said in interviews she spent the night with the premier.
Berlusconi has never been accused of paying women — allegedly including a prostitute — to attend parties at his residence. He has also denied ever paying anyone for sex.
Berlusconi, who has said he is "no saint," has denied ever paying anyone for sex and is not under investigation in the scandal.
Italian radio said the airport meeting was viewed as a way for the government to show that Vatican-Italian relations remain strong despite the sex scandal.
NB: During the Pope's trip, all news and photos about it are posted directly in the CZECH REPUBLIC thread.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 27/09/2009 02:56]