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At 4:00 A.M., August 22, 1968, Pope Paul left Castel Gondolfo in the Alban Hills south of Rome and made the 40-minute drive to the Fiumicino Airport at Rome. After taking leave of prelates and government dignitaries, he boarded a Columbia Avianca Airline 707 jet, accompanied by his suite and 50 newsmen. The flight took off at 5:35 A.M. and as the Plane passed over Spain, Portugal and Venezuela good will messages and blessings were sent to the heads of state in each country. The pope emerged from the private apartment prepared for him and within the first half hour of flight shook hands with his fellow passengers. An hour later with his secretary, Msgr. Pasquale Macchi, he toured the plane more leisurely and had a few words with each person. The rest of the flight he worked in a study, had a substantial lunch, and conferred with his staff. The jet touched down at El Dorado Airport, Bogota, 10:24 A.M. local time, approximately 12 hours after takeoff, about 13 hours from Castel Gondolfo. On his arrival the bells of the Cathedral of Bogota and all the churches were rung and factory sirens sounded. When he stepped from the plane, clad in a white cassock and zuchetta with a red cane, he kissed the ground of South America, actually the concrete runway of the airport. President Carlos Lieras Restrepo of Columbia greeted him in the name of all Latin America "because of our common religious faith in Latin America". in reply to this welcoming address Pope Paul VI asked God to increase "the sentiments of brotherhood and harmonious collaboration toward a constant peaceful living together, and inspire and consolidate the forces for an ordered progress" which should "reach every family and class in conformity with the principles of justice and Christian Charity". He was given a 22-gun salute. This 12-hour flight of some 6500 miles brought Paul VI on the first Papal Visit in the history of Latin America. A tumultuous welcome awaited him along the 8-mile route from the airport to the Cathedral of Bogota. Here he was greeted by some 5000 Latin American prelates, clergy and religious The jam at the Cathedral of Santa Fe de Bogota was so great that colum-bian security was unable to bring the Pope to the altar where he was supposed to kneel in prayer. They proceeded to the open-air site of the 39th International Eucharistic Congress. (Cf. Life Magazine, Sent.6, 1968, pn.64-67 for Pictures) Here he ordained some 161 Latin Americans to the priesthood, others to the diaconate, dispensing in some cases from the minimum age of 24 years. This event had been scheduled for the Cathedral, to emphasize the shortage of priests and clergy in Latin America. At the Cathedral he had exhorted the clergy to increase their work dedicated "to the parish, the youth, the sick, the poor, the children and the working people". After the jam at the Cathedral he went to the residence of the Papal Nuncio to rest, and in the afternoon (Thursday, August 22) proceeded to the open-air site of the Eucharistic congress for the ordinations. Peasants from all over Columbia wearing colorful Ponchos and capes and pig-tailed Indians in their saucer hats showered the Pone with confetti as they greeted him along the road to the Congress. On his arrival Pope Paul was quoted as saying he was well aware that Latin America was undergoing a truly historic crisis of political unrest and economic and social tension. The press strongly intimated that the main reason for Pope Paul's visit was to attempt a reconciliation between conservative churchmen. of South America and the so-called radical clergy who were said to advocate a violent social revolution, due to their interpretation of an earlier encyclical of Pope Paul of 1968. In all his talks the Pope placed himself squarely in the middle, strongly advising social reform immediately, and strongly opposing violence in its accomplishment. Presidents of the United States for the past decade or more have been advising land reforms and equitable distribution of wealth in Latin America, since land and wealth are in the hands of a comparative few. They saw the ferment building up to accomplish this by any means. Pope Paul was urging a peaceful solution should be sought immediately. On Friday, Aug.23 in an open field near Mosguera, 18 miles west of Bogota, the Pope addressed an assembly of 35,000 Columbian peasants. He called on the rich to accept agrarian reform and to institute more equitable taxes which would benefit the poor, especially the backward peasants of South America. He directed a plea to the richer countries of the world to be generous with foreign aid and commercial relations with these developing countries. Poverty and social injustice cannot be tolerated and need an immediate speedy remedy. He exhorted the peasants not to resort to violence and revolution to accomplish these reforms, as they are contrary to the Christian spirit, and which would delay instead of advance their social uplifting. Pope Paul blessed a new 300-kilowatt radio transmitter before this address. On the platform with him were 22 married couples in typical peasant dress representing the countries of South America and Jamaica. His address had pointed out the need to place the financial burdens on the owners of vast estates, many absentee landlords. On Friday afternoon at the grounds of the Eucharistic Congress and addressed himself to business, labor and student leaders. He repeated that he was aware that the continent was in a crisis of political unrest and economic and social tension, but warned against violence in the resolving of the crisis. On Saturday, Aug. 24, he pleaded with the Catholic world to stand firm in obeying the church's stand on birth control, as expounded in his encyclical. His return flight on Saturday was scheduled for a stop at Bermuda for refueling, because it was not possible to put enough fuel aboard at Bogota for a non-stop return flight, due to the altitude. On the stopover at Bermuda, Pope Paul was greeted at the airport by the Governor-General of Bermuda, Lord Martonmare, and by Most Rev. Bernard Murphy, C.P. Bishop of Hamilton. It is believed to be the first time a Pope set foot on British soil, Bermuda being a Crown Colony. Pope Paul slept about five hours on the return flight, then visited with his staff and newsmen, expressing deep concern about the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. At the Fiumicino Airport, he was greeted by Premier Giovanni Leone of Italy, by Angelo Card. Dell'Acaua, and the Vatican Secretary of State, Amleto Card. Cicognani. The road back to Castel Gondolfo was lined with well-wishers. From the balcony at Castel Gondolfo, he enthused the assembled crowd on devotion to the Holy Eucharist of the Latin American peasants and said they deserved aid, being poor but laborious. Three stamps were issued on August 22, 1968, the day of Pope Paul VI's departure to the 39th International Eucharistic Congress At Bogota. It is suggested that their postal usage was intended as follows:-L.25 to frank the rate for picture postcards with no more than five words sent within the limits of Italy; L.55 is the rate for a postcard with correspondence sent outside the limits of Italy; L.220 is the rate for a registered letter of no more than 20 grams sent outside Italy. The L.25 shows a portrait of Pope Paul VI, source unknown, probably a photograph. The monstrance or ostensorium on the L.55 is by Mrs. Andreina Grassellini, after the central design of the Disputa Del Sar-ramento by Raphael in the Camera della Segnatura, Vatican Palace (Cf. Vatican Notes, Vol. XII, #4, p.10). The L.220 shows a physical map of South America, with the city of Bogota alone indicated, taken from one of the frescoes by Francesco Bencivegna, which decorate the rooms leading to the Office of the Secretary of State in the Vatican Palace. The Vinculum Caritatis at the top of the L.25 and L.220 means "The Bond Of Charity). The FD cancel in use for the past few years is used on FDCs with a three-line slogan cancel at the left enclosed in a rectangle of wavy lines: PAULUS VI P.M.7EUCHARISTICO EX OMNIBUS GENTIBUS/CONVENTUI IN COLUMBIA INTEREST. (Pope Paul VI took part in the Eucharistic Congress of All Peoples in Columbia - or Pope Paul VI took part in the International Eucharistic Congress in Columbia). Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 461 - 463 Date Issued - 22 August 1968 Face Value - 25 l, 55 l, 220 l Perforations - 14 Printer - The Italian State Printing Works |
| (From Vatican Notes Volume XVIII, Number 3, November - December 1968, Pages 3-5) |
