The Head of State and Wife arrived in Rome on Friday 25 April for the solemn church service.

The short airport ceremony at the VIP section of Aeroporto Leonardo Da Vinci Ceremoniale Di Stato, in Italy or Fiumicino main Airport in Rome contrasted with the festive atmosphere at the Rome Cavalieri hotel on Friday 25 April 2014 where hundreds of Cameroonians turned out to welcome the first couple of Cameroon in Rome for the canonisation of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at the Vatican. It was at 3 p.m. when the special flight carrying on board President Paul Biya and wife, Chantal touched down at the airport.

A selected group of officials including Mr Vacante of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cameroon’s representative to the Vatican, Ambassador Antoine Zanga and Cameroon’s Ambassador to Italy, Dominique Awono Essama as well as some of their close collaborators waited for the Presidential couple at the foot of the aeroplane. Mgr Alberto Ortega, representative of the Holy See, who is in charge of ceremonies at the State Protocol of the Vatican, first moved up the aircraft to have some words with the Presidential couple before they descended from the plane.

Soon after young Temngoua Anne Raissa, 9 years old and Kemtchuaing Yoan Osvaldo, 8 years old, all born in Italy handed the time-honoured bouquet of flowers to the Head of State and Spouse, they had a handshake with the Vatican, Italian and Cameroonian officials present at the airport before driving off to the Ambassador’s Saloon of the airport where President Biya and Chantal Biya briefly exchanges with Mgr Alberto Ortega before taking off from the airport.

The convoy then drove to the Rome Cavalieri hotel where anxious and excited crowds of Cameroonians including Priests, Reverend Sisters, students, and business persons based in Rome and other parts of Italy gathered to demonstrate their support and admiration to the Head of State and wife.