Pope Francis
en route to Panama paid tribute to late Russian journalist
Alexej Bukalov, who died last December.
Francis said he was "a man of great humanity" able to provide
a synthesis with the style of Dostoevsky.
The pope was visibly moved when speaking these words after
greeting journalists on the plane to Panama for World Youth Day.
Bukalov was the Rome correspondent of the TASS news agency
and veteran journalist of papal flights.
Bukalov, who followed papal journeys right up until the most
recent one, passed away on 28 December last, aged 78.
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