The aircraft's missionary applications and the place of religion in aeronautical facilities
Aeronautics sets forth a positive vision of progress consistent with the 19th century Saint-Simonians[1]' vision, which some theologians bought into: it advanced a religion true to its etymological sense of “binding” as propounded by this trend praising a pacific technology. It made for bringing people together, it contributed to fraternity. The Paris Convention of 13 October 1919 that defined air sovereignty allowed in effect for the “freedom of innocent passage” of the contracting states. To the mind of mostly Christian Europeans, the plane, like the previous century's trains and steamers, could contribute to the evangelisation of peoples or regions hitherto inaccessible. It became a vector of missionary work, notably in the Southern African colonies. The missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a Catholic congregation, relied as early as the thirties on Junkers (sturdy all-metal German crafts). The use of planes is also attested in Protestant missions.
As had the train then the coach, so did air travel inform the re-mapping of shrines, especially with the development of long haul flights and the reductions in ticket costs in the sixties. The pilgrimages that benefited most from these evolutions were those to the places most iconic to the monotheist faiths, enabling the believers to access the wellspring of their religion and faith. Rome, Jerusalem and Mecca were thus reinforced as major religious geographic hubs. By the second half of the 20th century, these pilgrimage destinations had achieved a global dimension as air links and the more approachable costs of flights had put them within the reach of believers from other continents. National governments now good account of pilgrimages as airlines advertising nowadays combines devotions with tourism, which in turn begets a link between religion and economy. To which must be added major political issues attendant on these practices: Saudi Arabia, for instance, establishes national quotas for each year.
The mainstreaming of air travel called for liturgical adjustments. For Catholics they emerged in the forties and fifties alongside the democratisation of air travel. On the basis of the length of the voyage and the stages in countries where Christianity had no foothold at the time, Canon law evolved on the basis of the decisions taken at the turn of the century to define religious practices on board ship. In 1938, Fr. Cappello restated the validity for flight of canon 883[2] allowing for confession in flight and during stopovers as applied to ships. A motu proprio[3] of 16 December 1947 specifies that the officiating priest enjoys his ordinary powers in the air but also on dry land on stages lasting under three days. Adherence to religious practice raised questions both for the religious authorities and the believers. The length of flights making catering necessary compelled air companies to take dietary requirements into account: halal food for Muslims, kosher for the Jews, the observance of other prohibitions for Hindus and Buddhists for instance. For Muslims, in order to further the practice of prayer in flight, certain airlines may indicate the position of Mecca, on the plane's TV screens or do so on specific flights and likewise announce the time to break the fast in Ramadan. Muslim prayer books as well as pilgrim's guides carry some indications regarding the validity of prayer in the airport environment or the moral behaviour to be adopted in flight. These indications are issued by an Islamic jurisprudence concerned with the new means of transport. The flag carriers of some Muslim states such as Saudi Arabian Airlines, Royal Brunei, Kuwait Airways, have a designated prayer zone inside their planes.
Religions also maintain some visibility in airports and aerodromes. A 1965 brochure for Besançon Aero Club illustrates the moment when the hangars were turned into a “cathedral” for a solemn mass during which the aircrafts were blessed. However their attention is now focussed on users in business, touring or migratory transit and services are run on ecumenical lines. The first chaplaincies with priests in charge were introduced in airports directly after the Second World War, e.g. in Heathrow in 1946. Fifteen years later in 1961, the first convention of airport chaplains was organized on an initiative from the Catholic priests of Brussels and Paris-Orly, this event saw the birth of the International Association of Civil Aviation Chaplains soon turned ecumenical and bringing together the representatives of the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu faiths. They may lead services whatever the faith of those who approach them for prayer, advise, help on their journey and, singularly, in the event of an air disaster. The association's logo displaying a figure kneeling as in prayer, helps spotting in airports the world over places specifically dedicated to prayer and meditation. Currently, 130 airports host facilities set aside for religious activities, two of them in Turkey. The prayer zones are ecumenical or alternatively each religion enjoys its own worship space within a shared chapel, as the case may be. At London-Gatwick the inter-faith chaplaincy runs two spiritual centres including a space where worship from all major faiths is available. At Frankfort airport, a different structure is in place: ten prayer rooms cater for the diverse monotheist faiths. Chaplains welcome believers and perform their respective religious rites. They play an important part in the event of a travellers' death, of which there are a few every year in airports that see the passage of hundreds of thousand people. They also play a significant role in the airports' Immigration Removal Centres such as in Stockholm.
