Pope Francis left Rome at 8:30 in the morning to begin his apostolic journey to the island of Malta off the southern tip of Sicily. <\/p>\n
The Vatican announced that before heading to the airport, the Pope met with a group of Ukrainian refugees staying in Rome. The first of the Pope's interactions with migrants and refugees over the weekend, which is expected to be a central theme of his two-day trip. <\/p>\n
For the first time on a papal trip, Pope Francis did not climb up the stairs to board his plane, but was taken up with this elevator, a sign that the knee pain he has been experiencing in recent days continues to bother him.<\/p>\n
Aboard the papal plane, he greeted journalists and kept his comments on the trip brief. <\/p>\n
It is short, but it will be nice. <\/em><\/p>\n In responding to their questions, he said a future trip to Kyiv is on the table.<\/p>\n After the hour and and a half flight, the Pope landed in Malta, and again used an elevator to come down the plane.<\/p>\n The Pope was met on the tarmac by the president of Malta, George Vella, and his wife, before being offered flowers by two children as a sign of welcome. They were both excited to receive rosaries blessed by the Pope.<\/p>\n