Mexico Bids Farewell to Benedict XVI

Silao, Mexico, Mar 26. – A plane of the Italian airline Alitalia took Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba from the international airport of Guanajuato, in Silao, at 10:18 hours, local time (16:18 GMT), on Monday.

After the official farewell ceremony, headed by Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Pope Benedict XVI raised his arms in a sign of blessing before boarding the plane.

The estimated flight to eastern Santiago de Cuba is four hours.

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Mexico on March 23. During his stay in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato, he had a tight agenda, including a mass before more than 500,000 people at the Bicentenario Park, in Silao.(Prensa Latina)