Pope Benedict XVI surprised us all with a flying visit over the weekend -- literally.And while he didn't get off the plane, the Pontiff extended his greetings to President Mary McAleese and "invoked" a blessing on the Irish people.
Pope Benedict's transit was entirely unexpected and necessarily restricted to the aircraft. In fact, his aeroplane never made contact with Irish soil.
So while his brief passing through Irish airspace could hardly be termed a 'visit', the Holy Father obviously considered it noteworthy enough to enter into official correspondence with our President.
After his six-day trip to the US, Pope Benedict flew home to Rome, passing over the country en route. However, none of us would have been any the wiser, had he not decided to write a note to Mrs McAleese.
The brief but succinct message ran: "Entering Irish airspace en route to rome after my visit to the United States and the United Nations organisation, I renew my greetings to your excellency and cordially invoke upon all beloved Irish people God's abundant blessings."
An official invitation for a visit to Ireland was handed to the Pope in October 2006 by the then Archbishop Brady.
There is a suitable gap in the German Pontiff's travel diary from late spring to June 2009 for a short visit to Ireland. In the meantime, keep your eyes on the skies.
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