Papal Flight Crew Follows Strict Protocol on Commercial Jets

Behind the carefully managed international journeys of Pope Leo XIV, commercial airline crews must observe special protocols governing their interactions with the pontiff and senior Catholic clergy. Before a September flight to France, the crew assigned to the aircraft received detailed instructions from Gennaro Anastasio, a senior cabin manager responsible for many papal flights.

The aircraft, informally known as "Shepherd One," operates with additional expectations beyond ordinary commercial aviation procedures. According to the briefing, staff must respect the pope's privacy, maintain strict cabin standards and follow established forms of address for church officials.

Among the instructions, crew members were told not to take selfies with the pope or make personal requests, including asking him to pray for relatives. If the pontiff offers his hand, employees should shake it rather than kiss it.

Special attention was also required for the bathroom at the front of the aircraft, which is reserved for the pope. Anastasio instructed the crew to inspect and clean the facility repeatedly throughout the journey.

Employees were further advised not to address the pope directly. Instead, communication should go through his personal secretaries, according to the briefing.

Clergy members also require different forms of address depending on their positions within the Catholic hierarchy. Cardinals, identifiable by black robes, red sashes and skullcaps, should be addressed as "eminenza." Bishops, who wear purple caps and sashes, should receive the title "eccellenza."

Anastasio, 67, delivered the instructions with humor while emphasizing the importance of following protocol. He warned the crew against making mistakes when addressing senior clergy.

"Don't mess up," said Anastasio, the senior cabin manager.

He explained that confusing the titles of bishops and cardinals could create an awkward exchange, although the situation might also provide an opportunity for humor. A bishop mistakenly addressed as a cardinal could respond with a correction.

"No, I'm not an eminence," a bishop might say, according to Anastasio's example.

Anastasio described how a crew member could turn the mistake into a lighthearted exchange by suggesting that the bishop might eventually receive the higher rank.

"You'll become one!" Anastasio added.