Schedule of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the Holy Land

Vatican, Jiří Gračka, 26. 3. 2009, 18:10

The Press Office of the Holy See has released today (Mar 26, 2009) program of the 12th apostolic voyage of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to Jordan, Israel and Palestinian Authority. The Pope will meet religious and civil authorities, celebrate several masses for the public and visit the holy places of Christians, Jews and Muslims.

CZECH

Detailed schedule of the 12th apostolic voyage of Pope Benedict XVI to the Holy Land (May 8-15, 2009)

Local time in the Holy Land: UTC+3 (Rome: UTC+2)

Friday, May 8

9.30 am: Departure from the Rome's Fiumicino airport to Amman (Jordan)

2.30 pm (local time): Welcome ceremony at the Queen Alia airport in Amman; discourse of the Holy Father

3.30 pm: Visit to the "Regina Pacis" centre in Amman; discourse of the Holy Father

5.40 pm: Audience by King of Jordan Abdullah II in the Royal Palace

Saturday, May 9

7.15 am: Private Mass in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature in Amman

9.15 am: Visit of the basilica on the Mount Nebo; discourse of the Holy Father

10.30 am: Blessing of a corner-stone of the Latin Patriarchate University in Madaba; discourse of the Holy Father

11.30 am: Visit of the Hashemite Museum and the Hussein Bin Talal Mosque in Amman

11.45 am: Meeting with the representatives of the Muslim community, diplomatic corps and rectors of the Jordan universities in front of the mosque; discourse of the Holy Father

5.30 pm: Vespers with priests, religious persons, seminarians and representatives of ecclesiastic movements in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church cathedral of St George; discourse of the Holy Father

Sunday, May 10

10.00 am: Mass at the International Stadium in Amman; homily of the Holy Father

Midday: Prayer "Regina Coeli" and the discourse of the Holy Father

12.45 pm: Lunch with patriarchs, bishops and papal entourage at the Latin patriarchate in Amman

5.30 pm: Visit of Bethany Beyond the Jordan, place where Jesus was baptized

6.00 pm: Blessing of a corner-stone of the Latin and Melkite churches in Bethany Beyond the Jordan; discourse of the Holy Father

Monday, May 11

7.30 am: Private Mass in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature in Amman

10.00 am: Farewell ceremony at the Queen Alia airport in Amman; discourse of the Holy Father

10.30 am: Departure from Amman to Tel Aviv

11.00 am: Welcoming ceremony at the Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv; discourse of the Holy Father

4.45 pm: Audience by the Israeli president Shimon Peres in the presidential palace in Jerusalem; discourse of the Holy Father

5.45 pm: Visit of the holocaust memorial "Yad Vashem"

6.45 pm: Meeting with representatives of the organizations for the interreligious dialogue in the Our Lady of Jerusalem Centre; discourse of the Holy Father

Tuesday, May 12

9.00 am: Visit of the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem; meeting with the grand mufti of the mosque; discourse of the Holy Father

10.00 am: Visit of the Western Wall of the Jerusalem temple ("Wailing Wall")

10.45 am: Meeting with the rabbis of Jerusalem in the Hechal Shlomo Centre; discourse of the Holy Father

11.50 am: Prayer "Regina Coeli" with ordinaries of the Holy Land in the Jerusalem Cenacolo; discourse of the Holy Father

12.30 pm: Brief visit of the Latin concathedral in Jerusalem

1.00 pm: Lunch with ordinaries of the Holy Land, abbots and papal entourage at the Latin patriarchate

4.30 pm: Mass in the Valley of Josaphat; homily of the Holy Father

Wednesday, May 13

9.00 am: Welcoming ceremony at the square in front of the presidential palace in Bethlehem

10.00 am: Mass at the Manger Square in Bethlehem; homily of the Holy Father

12.30 pm: Lunch with ordinaries of the Holy Land, Franciscan community and papal entourage at the Casa Nova convent in Bethlehem

3.30 pm: Private visit of the Nativity church in Bethlehem

4.10 pm: Visit of the Caritas Baby Hospital

4.45 pm: Visit of the 'Ayda refugee camp; discourse of the Holy Father

6.00 pm: Audience by the president of the Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas in the Bethlehem presidential palace

6.40 pm: Farewell ceremony in front of the palace; discourse of the Holy Father

Thursday, May 14

10.00 am: Mass at "Qafzeh" near Nazareth (place where tradition says people wanted to throw Jesus down the rock, see Lk 4:29-30); discourse of the Holy Father

12.30 pm: Lunch with local ordinaries, Franciscan community and papal entourage at the Franciscan convent in Nazareth

3.50 pm: Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister in the convent

4.30 pm: Salutation to religious authorities of Galilee at the Annunciation church in Nazareth; discourse of the Holy Father

5.00 pm: Visit of the Annunciation church

5.30 pm: Vespers with bishops, priests, religious persons, representatives of the ecclesiastic movements and pastoral assistants of Galilee in the Annunciation basilica; discourse of the Holy Father