Is it me or is the Pope's schedule suddenly a lot more interesting now that we Americans have been on it? Either way, I'm fascinated by the fact that he's got plenty to do leading up to the joyful bedlam awaiting him in Sydney come July.
MAY
* Saturday 3: Recitation of the Rosary at 6 p.m. in the Roman basilica of St. Mary Major. * Sunday 11: Pentecost Sunday. Mass at 10 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica. * Saturday 17 and Sunday 18: Pastoral visit to Savona and Genoa, Italy. * Thursday 22: Solemnity of Corpus Christi. Mass at 7 p.m. in the basilica of St. John Lateran, followed by a procession to the basilica of St. Mary Major for Eucharistic blessing.
JUNE
* Saturday 14 and Sunday 15: Pastoral visit to Santa Maria di Leuca and Brindisi, Italy. * Saturday 28: At 6 p.m. in the Roman basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, First Vespers for the solemn opening of the Pauline Year. * Sunday 29: Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica. Blessing and imposition of the pallium on metropolitan archbishops.
Meanwhile I have to believe that, somewhere in the back of his mind, he's thinking even further forward, beyond World Youth Day, to Castelgandolfo. He'll celebrate the Assumption there in a lower key come mid-August. And he'll relax on vacation, God willing.
That will be one well-earned break. Wouldn't you say? -- DP
There's no question, Pope Benedict XVI is breaking new ground. First, there was the unprecedented pre-visit video released by the Vatican. Today, the Vatican has posted all of the liturgical celebrations - Scripture, songs, and prayers - for the visit online. On a quick look-through, I was surprised at the level of detail it provides about what will be happening at each of the liturgical venues. It's worth spending some time looking at it. Perhaps that's why the Vatican decided to release it five days ahead of his arrival.
Rocco Palmo had the news yesterday from the Holy See Press Office of a video the Pope will be releasing this morning as a preview to his U.S. trip. Says Palmo,
"This morning, the Holy See Press Office announced that early tomorrow
will see the release of a "brief video message" from Pope Benedict
"addressed to the American people in anticipation of his visit." The
first-of-its-kind tone-setter, whose length was not specified, will
convey the pontiff's first direct comments on his impending pilgrimage
to these shores.
While Benedict had previously given prime-time TV interviews before his 2006 visit to Poland and homecoming to Bavaria or
beamed via satellite greetings to a local gathering or two awaiting his
arrival, the move underscores both the import the church's central
command is placing on next week's events and Rome's understanding of
the usefulness and impact of new technology, both on the life of the
Stateside church and the wider society here."
Once it's released, we'll post the link here.
Update: Here's the last paragraph from the greeting from the Pope, posted at YouTube. We're still waiting on the full video version of today's message.
The USCCB has created a link. Once the video is available, it will be posted there. CNN has beat the USCCB in posting the full message. John Thavis at Catholic News Service has this story on the video. John Allen said that such a message is very unusual, but came as the result of the many media requests for interviews the Pope had received.
Here's Allen: Release of a video from the pope ahead of a foreign trip is not
standard Vatican operating procedure. Vatican sources said the decision
was the result of an unusually high volume of requests for interviews
with the pope from American media outlets sparked by the impending
trip. Although the pope turned down those requests, sources said his
advisors were impressed with the interest and wanted to offer a
response.
PAPAL MESSAGE FOR HIS FORTHCOMING TRIP TO THE U.S.
VATICAN CITY, 8 APR 2008 (VIS) - A video message by the Pope addressed to
citizens of the U.S.A. was made public today. Benedict XVI is due to visit the
United States from 15 to 21 April.
Speaking English, the Holy Father offers "a heartfelt greeting and an
invitation to prayer. As you know", he continues, "I shall only be able to
visit two cities: Washington and New York. The intention behind my visit,
though, is to reach out spiritually to all Catholics in the United States".
After thanking the people working to organise his trip and those who are
praying for its success, Benedict XVI talks of his conviction that "without
the power of prayer, without that intimate union with the Lord, our human
endeavours would achieve very little".
"Together with your bishops, I have chosen as the theme of my journey three
simple but essential words: 'Christ our hope'. ... Jesus Christ is hope for
men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition. ...
Through him, our lives reach fullness, and together, both as individuals and
peoples, we can become a family united by fraternal love, according to the
eternal plan of God the Father. I know how deeply rooted this Gospel message
is in your country. I am coming to share it with you, in a series of
celebrations and gatherings.
"I shall also bring the message of Christian hope to the great Assembly of
the United Nations", the Pope adds, "to the representatives of all the peoples
of the world. Indeed, the world has greater need of hope than ever: hope for
peace, for justice, and for freedom, but this hope can never be fulfilled
without obedience to the law of God, which Christ brought to fulfilment in the
commandment to love one another. Do to others as you would have them do to
you, and avoid doing what you would not want them to do. This 'golden rule' is
given in the Bible, but it is valid for all people, including non-believers.
It is the law written on the human heart; on this we can all agree, so that
when we come to address other matters we can do so in a positive and
constructive manner for the entire human community".
The Holy Father then goes on to address Spanish-speaking U.S. Catholics in
their own language, expressing his "spiritual closeness, especially to the
young, the sick, the elderly and those who are suffering difficulties or feel
in greatest need".
Benedict XVI concludes his message with thanks for everyone living in the
United States, "even if my itinerary is short", he says, "my heart is close to
all of you". MESS/UNITED STATES TRIP/...VIS 080408 (460)
Yesterday's and today's news has been filled with stories about the Pope's previously unscheduled visit to a Synagogue in Manhattan. It's significant because it seems to be a later addition to the trip, it falls on the eve of Passover, it will be the first visit by a Pope to an American synagogue, and it comes on the heels of the controversy regarding the revival of the Church's Good Friday prayer.
It's interesting to watch how the Pope's trip has developed. There are the official events, which are plain for all to see from the itinerary, but then there are additional events that have cropped up since the publication of the official itinerary - his meeting with representatives from various Catholic charitable organizations, his lunch with the U.S. Cardinals, and now his "informal and personal" visit to the Park East Synagogue on April 18, and a separate meeting with about 50 Jewish leaders in the Polish Heritage Room of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center the day before in Washington, D.C.
Rocco Palmo offers information from the Vatican regarding the Good Friday prayer, and also adds this:
Announced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the pontiff's
"personal and informal" visit to the Park East Synagogue on Manhattan's
67th Street was intended to convey Benedict XVI's "good will toward the
local Jewish community." Given the coincidence of Passover with the the
New York leg of the 15-20 April papal visit, the absence of the Jewish
community from the pontiff's schedule there had previously come under
some criticism.
The New York Times has a full story on Thursday's announcement.
Newsday had these quotes from their article on the visit.
"For him to stop in at my synagogue on the eve of Passover really is a very symbolic and significant step," Rabbi Arthur Schneier said.
"By this personal and informal visit, which is not part of his official
program, His Holiness wishes to express his good will toward the local
Jewish community as they prepare for Passover," said Monsignor David
Malloy, general secretary of the USCCB.
Those who have read Pope Benedict's "Jesus of Nazareth," will recall that the Pope gives significant time to Rabbi Jacob Neusner, author of "A Rabbi Talks with Jesus." Neusner is profiled in this Time article.
This will be Pope Benedict's second visit to a synagogue since his election. Recall, that during World Youth Day in Cologne, he was the first Pope to visit a German synagogue. You'll find his address from that visit, here.
At the time, I blogged about that event. Here's my coverage from the Pope's visit to the Cologne synagogue.
The pope's visit with Jewish leaders at the synagogue here in Cologne just finished. It began with a Rabbi chanting the 23rd Psalm. A Jewish leader spoke about Judaism's five pillars (the soul, memory, good deeds, prayer, and Shalom) before introducing Pope Benedict.
Pope Benedict recounted the Jewish history in Cologne which dates back to 321 and spoke of the Shoah at the hands of an "insane, racist ideology born of paganism...and because the holiness of God was not recognized or the sacredness of human life."
Referring to Pope John Paul II as his venerable predecessor, he said, "I bow my head before all those who experienced this manifestation of man's inhumanity to man. The events of that time must inspire the building of peace."
He spoke of the Judaism as the roots of Christianity and again referred to something John Paul had said: "Whoever meets Jesus Christ meets Judaism."
He called Jewish and Christians to give an "ever more harmonious expression of human rights and the sacredness of life..." and referred to the 10 Commandments as a lamp for our steps and a light for our path.
"God has given the Commandments to us that never again may evil come to power."
After the speech, Jewish leaders presented him with a type of ram's horn. He presented them with a complete handwritten collection of documents from Alexandria that dated from the 3rd century. Then a series of Shoah survivors came forward to greet the pope. Each was presented with a gift in a small green Vatican box. Usually the pope gives out rosaries. I'd like to know what the Vatican hands out to those who are not Christian.
Outside the synagogue, a WYD volunteer greeted him with a WYD backpack. A security person took the bag away from the pope, but the pope then turned and asked for it back, posing with it for a photo.
The visit to the synagogue is historic in most every respect. Here is a German pope, meeting with Jewish leaders in a synagogue which had been destroyed by the Nazis. Considering that the Pope's predecessor, Peter, was once thrown out of the Jewish temple, it was wonderful to witness the coming together of these two great faiths under a Jewish roof.
For those interested in the "official" itinerary of the Holy Father, you'll find it on the Vatican website, here. In looking at it recently, I pulled out a couple of interesting nuggets.
During the Holy Father's six days in the U.S., he'll be delivering eight addresses and three homilies.
Also, note from the schedule that he will be celebrating two large public Masses (at Nationals Park and Yankee Stadium), one Mass with clergy and religious (at St. Patrick's Cathedral), and one private Mass on Friday, April 18 in the Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington.
Well, official word arrived today from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, who were handling the credentialing. It looks like the National Catholic Register will have access to most of the major events during the Pope's visit, aside from the Interreligious Gathering at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, the Ecumenical Prayer Service at St. Joseph Catholic Church, the Mass for Clergy and Religious at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and the visit to Ground Zero. It looks like we may have to find other alternatives for covering those events.
Other Register writers will be covering the Pope's visit to the White House, the Pope's U.N. address, the Rally with Seminarians and Young People, and the departure ceremony.
Here are the events that I will personally be covering: Tuesday, April 15 4:00 p.m. - Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base
Wednesday, April 16 5:00 p.m. - Vespers and Address to U.S. Bishops at the National Shrine
Thursday, April 17 10:00 a.m. - Mass at Nationals Park (I may be attending this event as a participant, rather than with the media pool)
Update: 5:00 p.m. It appears I may be attending the speech at Catholic University of America.
Saturday, April 19 4:30 p.m. - Blessing of Youth with Disabilities at St. Joseph Seminary
Sunday, April 20 2:30 p.m. - Mass at Yankee Stadium
Given the large Vatican press corps (40), the papal entourage (30), and the national television broadcasters who always receive preference, we were afraid that we would be shut-out from many of the events, so we're delighted that we'll have access to as many as we have. Recall that credentialing was handled in such a way as to limit each reporter to covering only one event each day. John Norton, editor at Our Sunday Visitor, reports that the USCCB's media coordinators awarded spaces to 1,141 news outlets for the visit.
Thomas Peters, over at the American Papist blog, has received his assignments as well.
The Catholic Courier has a Catholic News Service story by Cindy Wooden providing additional details on the Pope's April visit. Among the details are a few additions, as well as information on when the Pope will be using the Popemobile.
Wooden writes: "In addition to the previously announced
meetings, Pope Benedict will hold a brief meeting April 16 with
representatives of Catholic charitable foundations.
The papal
itinerary, published March 17 by the Vatican, also includes a lunch
April 16 and a dinner April 18 with the U.S. cardinals, the officers of
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and members of the papal
entourage.
In addition, the Vatican said the pope and his
entourage would have a luncheon April 19 with Cardinal Edward M. Egan
of New York and the New York auxiliary bishops at Cardinal Egan's
residence.
The Vatican itinerary also contained some
indications of how people who did not get tickets to either the April
17 Mass at Nationals Park in Washington or the April 20 Mass in New
York's Yankee Stadium could see the pope.
In Washington April
16 the pope is planning to go by popemobile from the White House to the
apostolic nunciature on Massachusetts Avenue. The same evening, he will
switch from a car to the popemobile on his way from the nunciature to
the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
After
meeting representatives of Catholic universities and diocesan education
offices April 17 at The Catholic University of America, he will use the
popemobile to cover the short distance to the Pope John Paul II
Cultural Center.
In New York, the pope is scheduled to use the
popemobile only once, April 19, to go from Cardinal Egan's residence to
the residence of the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations."
Here is the program as published by the Vatican. All times are local unless otherwise indicated.
Tuesday, April 15 (Rome, Washington)
-- Noon (6 a.m. EDT). Departure from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport for Washington.
-- 4 p.m. Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. Private welcome by President George W. Bush and Laura Bush.
-- 4:14 p.m. Transfer by car to the apostolic nunciature in Washington.
Wednesday, April 16
-- Morning Mass in private in the chapel of the nunciature (no time given).
-- 10:10 a.m. Transfer by car to the White House.
--
10:30 a.m. Welcoming ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House.
Speech by pope, followed by a courtesy visit with the president in the
Oval Office.
-- Noon. Transfer by popemobile to the nunciature.
--
1 p.m. Lunch with the U.S. cardinals, officers of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops and the papal entourage at the nunciature.
-- 4:45 p.m. Greeting representatives of Catholic charitable foundations at the nunciature.
-- 5 p.m. Transfer by car and then by popemobile to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
-- 5:45 p.m. Celebration of vespers and meeting with the bishops of the United States in the basilica. Speech by pope.
-- 7:30 p.m. Transfer by car to the nunciature.
Thursday, April 17
-- 9 a.m. Transfer by car from the nunciature to Nationals Park.
-- 10 a.m. Mass in Nationals Park. Homily by pope.
-- 12:15 p.m. Transfer by car to the nunciature.
-- 4:40 p.m. Transfer by car to The Catholic University of America.
-- 5 p.m. Meeting with representatives of Catholic universities at The Catholic University of America. Speech by pope.
-- 6:15 p.m. Transfer by popemobile to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.
-- 6:30 p.m. Meeting with representatives of other religions in the rotunda of the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center.
-- 7:30 p.m. Transfer by car to the nunciature.
Friday, April 18 (Washington, New York)
-- Morning Mass in private in the chapel of the nunciature.
-- 7:50 a.m. Farewell to those at the nunciature.
-- 8 a.m. Transfer by car to Andrews Air Force Base.
-- 8:45 a.m. Departure by air to New York.
-- 9:45 a.m. Arrival at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
-- 10 a.m. Transfer by helicopter to Manhattan.
-- 10:30 a.m. Arrival at the Wall Street heliport and transfer by car to the United Nations headquarters.
--
10:45 a.m. Visit to the United Nations. Speech by the pope to the U.N.
General Assembly followed by greetings to the staff and personnel.
-- 1:45 p.m. Transfer by car to the residence of the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations.
-- 5:45 p.m. Transfer by car to St. Joseph's Church in New York.
-- 6 p.m. Ecumenical meeting in St. Joseph's Church. Speech by pope.
-- 7:15 p.m. Transfer by car to the permanent observer's residence.
-- 7:30 p.m. Dinner with the U.S. cardinals, the officers of the U.S. bishops' conference and members of the papal entourage.
Saturday, April 19
-- 8:45 a.m. Transfer by car to St. Patrick's Cathedral.
-- 9:15 a.m. Mass with priests, men and women religious in St. Patrick's Cathedral. Homily by pope.
-- 11:30 a.m. Transfer on foot to the residence of the archbishop of New York.
-- Noon. Lunch with Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New York, the auxiliary bishops of the archdiocese and the papal entourage.
-- 1:15 p.m. Transfer by popemobile to the residence of the permanent observer.
-- 4 p.m. Transfer by car to St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers.
-- 4:30 p.m. Meeting with young people and with seminarians at St. Joseph Seminary. Speech by pope.
-- 6:30 p.m. Transfer by car to the permanent observer's residence.
Sunday, April 20 (New York, Rome)
-- 9:10 a.m. Transfer by car to ground zero.
-- 9:30 a.m. Visit to ground zero. Prayer by pope.
-- 10 a.m. Transfer by car to the permanent observer's residence.
-- 1:50 p.m. Transfer by car to Yankee Stadium.
-- 2:30 p.m. Mass in Yankee Stadium. Homily by pope.
-- 4:45 p.m. Transfer by car to the permanent observer's residence.
-- 7 p.m. Transfer by car to the Wall Street heliport.
-- 7:20 p.m. Arrival at the Wall Street heliport.
-- 7:30 p.m. Transfer by helicopter to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
-- 8 p.m. Arrival at airport for farewell ceremony. Speech by pope.
-- 8:30 p.m. Departure for Rome.
Monday, April 21 (Rome)
--10:45 a.m. (4:45 a.m. EDT). Arrival at Rome's Ciampino airport.
Vatican Information Service (VIS) published the Holy See Press Office's official program for Pope Benedict's visit to the U.S. this morning. It contains no surprises, and is reprinted here in its entirety.
PROGRAMME OF POPE'S TRIP TO THE UNITED
STATES
VATICAN CITY, 17 MAR 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press
Office today published the programme of Benedict XVI's forthcoming apostolic
trip to the United States of America, including his visit to the headquarters of
the United Nations, due to take place from 15 to 21 April.
The Pope
will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport at
midday on Tuesday 15 April and land at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington at 4 p.m.
local time, where he will be greeted by U.S. President George W. Bush and his
wife.
The welcome
ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday 16 April,
after which the Pope will make a courtesy visit to the U.S. president at the White House.That afternoon he will preside at the celebration of Vespers
and hold a meeting with U.S. bishops at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington. Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass at 10 a.m. on Thursday 17 April in the Nationals Stadium in Washington.
At
5 p.m. on the same day he will participate in a meeting with representatives
from Catholic universities at the Catholic University of America, also in Washington, then meet with representatives of other religions in the city's Pope John Paul II Cultural Centre.
On the
morning of Friday 18 April, the Holy Father will travel from Washington to New York where, at 10:45 a.m., he is scheduled to address the General Assembly of the United Nations. That evening he is due to participate in an ecumenical meeting at the church of St. Joseph in New York.
At 9:15 a.m. on Saturday, 19 April, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass with priests on Saturday, 19 April, the Holy Father will celebrate
Mass with priests and religious in St. Patrick's Cathedral. He will then lunch
with bishops of the archdiocese of
and, at 4.30 p.m., preside at a meeting with young people and seminarians at the
seminary of New York, St. Joseph.
On Sunday 20
April, Benedict XVI is to visit "Ground zero" where he will pray for the victims
of the attacks of 11 September 2001. At 2.30 p.m. he will celebrate Mass at New York's Yankee Stadium.
The
departure ceremony will be held at 8 p.m. on the same day, at New York's John Fitzgerald Kennedy international airport. The papal plane is due to land at the Roman airport of Ciampino at 10:45 a.m. local time on Monday 21 April.
Tuesday, April 15 Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. Greeting by President Bush and Mrs. Bush. Also present will be local dignitaries of the church and the apostolic nuncio.
Wednesday, April 16, 10:30 a.m. President Bush and the First Lady meet the Holy Father on the south lawn of the White House. This is only the second time in history that a pontiff has visited the White House. At the end of the welcoming ceremony, a private meeting is scheduled for the Holy Father and the President, while dignitaries of the two states also meet.
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 p.m. Private prayer service and meeting with the 350 bishops of the
United States
at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Before the prayer service, which will be held in the crypt of the Shrine, there will be outdoor photo opportunities of the public welcoming the pope to this national church.
Thursday, April 17, 10:00 a.m. The pope will offer Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington. This will be the first non-baseball event in the park, and Catholics from around the country are making plans to attend.
Thursday, April 17, 5 p.m. The heads of the more than 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the
United States
and superintendents from the 195 Catholic dioceses have been invited to an address by Pope Benedict XVI on the importance of Catholic education. The address will be on the campus of The Catholic University of America, the only college in the
United States
operated by the bishops.
Thursday, April 17, 6:30 p.m. Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindi, Jews and representatives of other religions will gather with the Holy Father for a prayer service at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, next door to Catholic University.
Friday, April 18, 10:45 a.m. Pope Benedict XVI will address the United Nations, after an early morning flight to
New York
.
Friday, April 18, 6 p.m. Prayer service with leaders from other Christian denominations at St. Joseph's Church, founded by German Catholics, in Manhattan.
Saturday, April 19, 9:15 a.m. Mass for priests, deacons and members of religious
Saturday, April 19, 4:30 p.m. The Holy Father will meet with young Catholics, including 50 youngsters with a range of disabilities, at St. Joseph Seminary in
Yonkers
. Thousands of young people, including hundreds of seminarians, are expected to participate in a rally/prayer service and to hear the pope speak.
Sunday, April 20, 9:30 a.m. The Holy Father will visit Ground Zero, the site of the disaster at the
World
Trade
Center
.
Sunday, April 20, 2:30 p.m. Mass at Yankee Stadium will bring this historic visit to a close. The 200th anniversary of the Baltimore Archdiocese’s designation as an archdiocese, as well as the birth of four dioceses –
Boston
,
New York
,
Louisville
and
Philadelphia
– will be highlighted during the
Mass.
Sunday, April 20, 8 p.m. Shepherd One lifts off from John F. Kennedy airport in the Brooklyn Diocese, heading east to the
Pope Benedict XVI is coming to America and Australia. The National Catholic Register wants to make sure you don’t miss out.
Tim Drake, our Senior Writer, will provide you with up-to-the-minute reports on news and preparations, and will blog directly from papal events, right here. To reach the author with news tips, photos, stories, or press releases, email: tdrake[at]tdrake[dot]clearwire[dot]net
Leon Suprenant, Catholics United for the Faith "This site has a lot of good information on it, from commentary and articles concerning what the Pope will talk about when he’s here, to very practical items concerning the papal Masses and local transportation."
