Program of Pope's Apostolic Trip to Brazil

VATICAN CITY, APR 12, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office has released the program of the Pope's forthcoming apostolic trip to Brazil, due to take place from May 9 to 14, for the occasion of the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Holy Father will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, May 9, arriving at the international airport of Sao Paulo / Guarulhos at 4.30 p.m. The welcome ceremony will be followed by an address from the Holy Father after which, at 5.30 p.m., he is due to fly by helicopter to the Campo de Marte airport where he will greet the local authorities. From there he will journey by open-top car to the monastery of Sao Bento where he will bless the faithful and spend the night.

On Thursday, May 10, he is due to celebrate Mass privately in the chapel of the monastery and, at around 10.30 a.m., to travel to the "Palacio dos Bandeirantes" in Sao Paulo to pay a courtesy visit to the president of the republic. Returning to the monastery of Sao Bento, the Holy Father will meet with representatives from other Christian confessions and other religions before lunching with members of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil. At 5.30 p.m., the Pope will travel to the "Paulo Machado de Carvalho" municipal stadium of Pacaembu where, at 6 p.m., he will deliver an address to the young people gathered there.

The following day, May 11, on Sao Paulo's Campo de Marte field, the Holy Father will preside at a Mass during which he will canonize Blessed Frei Galvao. At 4 p.m. that afternoon, having bid farewell to his hosts at the monastery of Sao Bento, he will address Brazilian bishops in the cathedral of Sao Paulo.

At 6 p.m., the Holy Father is due to depart by helicopter from Campo de Marte airport and fly to Aparecida, arriving at 7 p.m.. Having greeted the local authorities there, he will travel to the Bom Jesus seminary to spend the night.

On Saturday, May 12, having celebrated Mass privately in the seminary chapel, the Pope will travel by car to the Fazenda da Esperanca in Guaratingueta, where he will visit the church and meet the community living there. Returning to the Bom Jesus seminary, the Pope will lunch with representatives of the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean. That afternoon he is due to go by car to the shrine of Aparecida where, having prayed the Rosary in the basilica, he will meet with priests, religious, seminarians and deacons.

On Sunday, May 13, the Pope will be taken in an open-top vehicle from the Bom Jesus seminary to the shrine of Aparecida where he will celebrate Mass to inaugurate the Fifth General Conference of the Episcopate of Latin America and the Caribbean, and pray the Regina Coeli. That afternoon he is to pronounce an address during the opening session of the conference. At 6.50 p.m., having bid farewell to the staff and students of the Bom Jesus seminary, he will travel by helicopter from Apaercida to the international airport of Sao Paulo / Guarulhos where he will greet the authorities and deliver a talk before boarding his aircraft for Rome, where he is due to arrive at 12.45 p.m. on May 14.

 
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