Moved by the welcome and thinner after his ordeal, the missionary met his family at the airport. He will be heard by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. After a period of rest he will meet the Pope and young people.

Roma (AsiaNews) – A long hug with his sister Pinuccia, followed by other relatives and fellow missionaries took up Fr Giancarlo Bossi’s first minutes after his arrival in Italy. On his arrival in the Italian capital, the missionary with the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), who was abducted on June 10 and held for 39 days, met his family in the reception area for heads of state at Fiumicino International Airport.

During his captivity Father Bossi lost about 20 kilos (44 lb) due to a poor diet based on salted rice and dry fish. Still he said he was doing well but had to undergo medical tests.

In the next few days the clergyman will also be interrogated by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office which has opened an inquiry into his abduction

Father Bossi left Manila yesterday with PIME Superior General, Fr Gian Battista Zanchi, on a flight with a stopover in Dubai.

In the Philippines all PIME missionaries met to check that they were all accounted for and to confirm their commitment to Mindanao where Father Bossi’s abduction took place.

His sister Pinuccia told AsiaNews that her family received many signs of solidarity from across Italy. She thanked all those who gave them support and made her brother’s release possible.

Father Bossi is in Italy to meet Benedict XVI and the youth of the Italian Catholic Church in Loreto on September 1 and 2. He will also spend some time to rest with his family.

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