2001 – 2021: Interpreter Vassilis G. Triantafyllou and the Three Popes

Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”, gate 9, VIP lounge: a private meeting between Pope Francis and the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nikos Dendias, has just been completed, in the presence of their two interpreters alone. The brief farewell ceremony for Pope Francis is in progress. A few minutes later, an Aegean Airlines plane bearing the papal coat of arms is taxiing for take-off. The Pope’s historic Apostolic Journey to Greece has reached its conclusion.

As I raise my eyes to the blue sky of Attica, and gaze at the aeroplane disappearing between the clouds, the meetings I have had over the last twenty years with three different Popes, all flash through my mind like a cinema reel. After 45 years of professional experience, the greatest moments of my career as an interpreter have been imprinted indelibly in my memory. Clearly, my meetings with the three Pontiffs stand out as markers throughout my career.

My first experience dates back to 2001 (exactly 20 years ago), to the official visit of the then President of the Republic, Mr Kostis Stefanopoulos, to Rome, to the Holy See and to the Greek-speaking villages of Grecia Salentina, from 23 to 26 January 2001. I well remember the anxiety of preparing for the upcoming meeting between the President of the Republic, Mr Kostis Stefanopoulos, and Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła). He was the first non-Italian Pope in 455 years, and the first Pope of Slavic descent in the history of the Roman Catholic church.

As I raise my eyes to the blue sky of Attica, and gaze at the aeroplane disappearing between the clouds, the meetings I have had over the last twenty years with three different Popes, all flash through my mind like a cinema reel.

For anyone who has never visited the Holy See before, crossing the threshold to the Vatican City and entering its territory is a unique, awe-inspiring experience. The men of the Swiss Guard (Guardia Svizzera Pontificia) are reminiscent of another era, bringing to life the history of this military corps.

The members of the Greek mission, with the President of the Republic at the head and his personal interpreter bringing up the rear (immediately after the arrival of the motorcade), were welcomed by the Holy See’s etiquette manager in the internal courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. There is a very strict protocol, starting with the dress code (dark suits, white shirt and dark tie for the men, and long gloves for the ladies if they are wearing a backless dress, and a hat or headscarf). The members of the mission are arranged single-file and accompanied by members of the Swiss Guard on a slow march through the extremely imposing Palace halls, until they reach the antechamber to the Pontiff’s personal office, where he welcomes his distinguished guests. The surroundings are grand and historical, and the atmosphere is extremely imposing.

It was my great pleasure to have the same experience twice more, with different Popes and Presidents of the Republic, of course.

The private meeting is attended only by the Pope, the President of the Republic and the interpreters, while the remaining members of the official mission stay in the antechamber. After the private meeting is completed, all members of the official mission enter the Pope’s private office for the official exchange of gifts between the President of the Republic and the Pontiff; the latter also confers a commemorative medal to each of the members of the mission, and photographs are taken.

It was my great pleasure to have the same experience twice more, with different Popes and Presidents of the Republic, of course.

My second visit to the Holy See was during the official visit of the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, to Rome, Perugia and Venice in 2006. He met with Pope Benedict XVI (born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger and considered the most important scholar to rise to the top of the ecclesiastical hierarchy since the time of Pope Innocent III).

The same formal ritual described above was followed during this visit, too, and the atmosphere was equally imposing. The only difference was that this time, the President of the Republic was accompanied by his wife, Mrs May Papoulia.

Another noteworthy event was that the Pope in question resigned his position. A Pope’s voluntary resignation is a very rare event in the history of the Catholic Church: before Benedict XVI, only eight popes did not die in the papal throne, the last having resigned about 600 years ago.

My third meeting with the Head of the Roman Catholic Church took place in the framework of his official Apostolic Journey to Greece, from 4 to 6 December 2021. In my capacity as interpreter for the President of the Republic, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou, I had the opportunity to be at his side during his stay in Athens, and to travel with him to Lesvos, where he visited Mavrovouni refugee camp.

My third visit to the Holy See was during the official visit of the President of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, to Rome and the Vatican in 2014. During this visit, the President met with Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio). He is the first South American Pope, born to Italian immigrants in Argentina. This is the Pope that I was to meet three times, two of which in Greece.

His first visit to Greece, and to Lesvos in particular, took place on 16 April, 2016. At the time, he met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, Ieronymos, and the then Prime Minister, Mr Alexis Tsipras, whose personal interpreter I was.

The private meeting is attended only by the Pope, the President of the Republic and the interpreters, while the remaining members of the official mission stay in the antechamber.

My third meeting with the Head of the Roman Catholic Church took place in the framework of his official Apostolic Journey to Greece, from 4 to 6 December 2021. In my capacity as interpreter for the President of the Republic, Ms Katerina Sakellaropoulou, I had the opportunity to be at his side during his stay in Athens, and to travel with him to Lesvos, where he visited Mavrovouni refugee camp.

It is truly difficult to find the right words to describe the sense of responsibility, and the emotional charge of a simple interpreter who has the privilege to experience such moments more than once in his career.