Speed Reads
In a Vatican far far away
Pope Francis is making a call to space this week
Pope Francis will make a call to the heavens Thursday. No, he's not sending out a prayer: Francis is phoning the International Space Station to talk to the six astronauts onboard.
Francis will talk with the space crew, comprised of three Americans, two Russians, and one Italian, The Associated Press reported. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, will be at Mission Control for the call as well.
This is actually the second papal call for Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, who was onboard when Pope Benedict XVI first called the ISS in 2011.
The call is a joint effort between the European Space Agency, NASA, and presumably God — so we can only pray it won't drop.