Catholic Airport Chaplains from around the globe met at the XIII World Seminar for Catholic Airport Chaplains in Vatican City from April 22 -26, 2007. Eighty seven chaplains and chaplaincy team members (20 from the USA) stayed at the Maria SS Bambina Institute, across from St. Peter’s Basilica.
The theme of the conference, “Dialogue in Airport Chaplaincies towards a response to terrorism,” was presented by Renato Raffaele Cardinal Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Mirgants and Itinerant People and Archbishop Marchetto, Secretary of the Pontifical Council.
Fr. Zaniolo greets the Holy Father at the April 25th Audience
We had many expert speakers address the topic. Archbishop Angelo Amato, Secretary of the CDF; Mr. Francesco Cappe, UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute; Mr. Iain Jack IATA’s Senior Security Advisor in Europe; Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue; Bishop Brial Farrell, LC, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity; Fr. Paschal Ryan, Chaplain of London Heathrow Airport. Fr. Michael Zaniolo, Chaplain of O’Hare and Midway airports in Chicago gave a presentation for the absent Fr. Baratelli of Newark.
Fr. Zaniolo, President of the NCCAC, Fr. Lacy, Secretary General of the European Airport
Chaplains Conference, and Rev. Krasznai, Acting President of IACAC gave presentations on the
status and activities of their groups.
We celebrated the Eucharist at the Tomb of St. Peter and we had a special reserved section at the Wednesday audience with the Holy Father. We also had our NCCAC Annual meeting at the Maria Bambina on Wednesday, April 25th. The minutes of that meeting are included.
Basilica of the Holy House of
Loreto
The conference concluded with a pilgrimage from Rome to Loreto to visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto, Patroness of Air Travelers. We celebrated the Eucharist in the Basilica of the Holy House with Archbishop Dazzi and prayed with other pilgrims in the Holy House.