Pinoy journalists covering papal visit may have to learn Italian

CHICAGO – Some Filipino journalists covering the visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines this week may have to learn some Italian.

Someone from the entourage of the pope sent reporters – accredited to cover the papal trip – a press release written in Italian.

Brother Carmelo Cortez, a Marian visionary, said that he would be traveling with Pope Francis from Rome to Sri Lanka and then to the Philippines.

According to the release, the pope would be leaving Rome today for Colombo in Sri Lanka, covering a distance of 7,630 kilometers (4,741 miles). The travel time would be about nine hours and 30 minutes on board an Alitalia A330 airline.

On Thursday,  the Pope would be leaving Colombo for Manila on a Sri Lankan A340 aircraft. Travel time would last for about six hours and 15 minutes.

On Saturday, Jan. 17, the pontiff would leave Manila for Tacloban on a Philippine Airlines A320 plane – a trip that would last for about an hour and 15 minutes. He would leave Tacloban and return to Manila on the same day.

Pope Francis would be leaving Manila for Rome on Jan. 19 on board a Philippine Airlines A340 plane, with the travel estimated to take about 14 hours and four minutes.

The time in Colombo in Sri Lanka is five hours ahead of Rome, while the Philippine standard time is eight hours ahead of Rome.