The summer of 1969 witnessed two historic flights – one scientific, the other religious. On July 20, a small module named the Eagle detached from its parent spacecraft, Apollo 11, and landed on the moon. Commander Neil Armstrong stepped out and made his famous “one small step for a man, giant leap for mankind.” He was followed by the module pilot Edwin Aldrine and after physically exploring the moon’s surface for over two hours, they rejoined pilot Michael Collins on the main craft and flew back to Earth.
In Rome, officials were putting final touches to an earthly flight which the Vatican chief of finance Archbishop Paul Marcinkus described as more complicated than flying to the moon. Pope Paul VI had overcome stiff political, religious and racial resistance in the developed world to make the first pontifical visit to Africa.
