hand and heart

The recent post office troubles have impacted our regular fundraising efforts. Please consider supporting the Register and Catholic journalism by using one of the methods below:

  • Donate online
  • Donate by e-transfer to accounting@catholicregister.org
  • Donate by telephone: 416-934-3410 ext. 406 or toll-free 1-855-441-4077 ext. 406
Berlin’s Olympic Stadium
Berlin’s Olympic Stadium

Busy schedule awaits Pope in Germany

By  Catholic News Service
  • July 27, 2011

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI will address the German parliament, meet with Jewish and Muslim groups, hold a prayer vigil with youths and celebrate Mass in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium during his Sept. 22-25 visit to his homeland.

It’s a heavy schedule for the 84-year-old pope, who will preside over 28 events and deliver 17 talks during the visit. It will be his third trip to Germany since his election in 2005, but his first visit to Berlin, the German capital.

After landing in Berlin Sept. 22, the Pope will meet with government leaders, give a major speech to the federal parliament, meet with Jewish representatives and then celebrate an evening Mass in the Olympic Stadium — the facility Adolf Hitler had built for the 1936 Summer Games.

Here is the schedule for the pope's trip as released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses.

 

Thursday, Sept. 22 (Rome, Berlin)

-- 8:15 a.m. (2:15 a.m.), Departure from Rome's Ciampino airport for Berlin.

-- 10:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m.), Arrival at Berlin Tegel Airport. Official welcome.

-- 11:15 p.m. (5:15 a.m.), Welcoming ceremony at Bellevue Palace in Berlin. Speech by the pope.

Courtesy visit with German President Christian Wulff in Bellevue Palace.

-- 12:50 p.m. (6:50 a.m.), Official meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel at the headquarters of the German bishops' conference in Berlin, next to the Catholic Academy.

-- 1:30 p.m. (7:30 a.m.), Lunch with papal entourage at the Catholic Academy.

-- 4:15 p.m. (10:15 a.m.), Visit to the federal Parliament in the Reichstag Building in Berlin. Speech by the pope.

-- 5:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m.), Meeting with representatives of the Jewish community in a room of the Reichstag Building. Speech by the pope.

-- 6:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m.), Mass in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Homily by the pope.

Friday, Sept. 23 (Berlin, Erfurt, Etzelsbach)

-- 7:15 a.m. (1:15 a.m.), Private Mass in chapel of apostolic nunciature in Berlin.

-- 9 a.m. (3 a.m.), Meeting with representatives of the Muslim community in reception room of the apostolic nunciature. Speech by the pope.

-- 10 a.m. (4 a.m.), Departure by plane from Berlin Tegel Airport for Erfurt.

-- 10:45 a.m. (4:45 a.m.), Arrival at Erfurt airport.

-- 11:15 a.m. (5:15 a.m.), Visit to St. Mary's Cathedral in Erfurt.

-- 11:45 a.m. (5:45 a.m.), Meeting with representatives of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, in the Chapter Room of the Monastery of St. Augustine in Erfurt. Speech by the pope.

-- 12:20 p.m. (6:20 a.m.), Ecumenical service in the Church of St. Augustine. Talk by the pope.

-- 1:20 p.m. (7:20 a.m.), Lunch with papal entourage in Erfurt seminary.

-- 4:45 p.m. (10:45 a.m.), Departure in helicopter from Erfurt airport for Etzelsbach.

-- 5:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m.), Arrival at Etzelsbach heliport.

-- 5:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m.), Marian evening prayer service at the Wallfahrtskapelle in Etzelsbach. Talk by the pope.

-- 7 p.m. (1 p.m.), Departure in helicopter from Etzelsbach for Erfurt.

-- 7:40 p.m. (1:40 p.m.), Arrival at Erfurt airport.

Saturday, Sept. 24 (Erfurt, Freiburg im Breisgau)

-- 9 a.m. (3 a.m.), Mass at the Domplatz market square in Erfurt. Homily by the pope.

-- 11:50 a.m. (5:50 a.m.), Departure by plane from Erfurt airport for Lahr.

-- 12:50 p.m. (6:50 a.m.), Arrival at Lahr airport.

-- 2 p.m. (8 a.m.), Visit to the cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau.

-- 2:15 p.m. (8:15 a.m.), Encounter with townspeople in Cathedral Square of Freiburg im Breisgau. Greeting by the pope.

-- 4:50 p.m. (10:50 a.m.), Meeting with ex-Chancellor Helmut Kohl in seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau.

-- 5:15 p.m. (11:15 a.m.), Meeting with representatives of Orthodox churches in the auditorium of the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau. Greeting by the pope.

-- 5:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m.), Meeting with seminarians in the Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo in seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau. Greeting by the pope.

-- 6:15 p.m. (12:15 p.m.), Meeting with the council of the Central Committee of German Catholics in the auditorium of the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau. Speech by the pope.

-- 7 p.m. (1 p.m.), Prayer vigil with young people at the trade fair grounds of Freiburg im Breisgau. Speech by the pope.

Sunday, Sept. 25 (Freiburg im Breisgau, Rome)

-- 10 a.m. (4 a.m.), Mass at tourist airport of Freiburg im Breisgau. Homily by the pope.

Recital of the Angelus. Talk by the pope.

-- 12:45 p.m. (6:45 a.m.), Lunch with members of the German bishops' conference and papal entourage at seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau.

-- 4:20 p.m. (10:20 a.m.), Meeting with judges of the Federal Constitutional Court in auditorium of the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau.

-- 5 p.m. (11 a.m.), Meeting with Catholics involved in the church and in society in the Concert Hall of Freiburg im Breisgau. Speech by the pope.

-- 6:45 p.m. (12:45 p.m.), Departure ceremony at Lahr airport. Speech by the pope.

-- 7:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m.), Departure in plane from Lahr airport for Rome.

-- 8:45 p.m. (2:45 p.m.), Arrival at Rome's Ciampino airport.

More in this category: « Pope's visit prompted new abuse allegations in Britain, church reports Church entities apologize for adoptions »

Please support The Catholic Register

Unlike many media companies, The Catholic Register has never charged readers for access to the news and information on our website. We want to keep our award-winning journalism as widely available as possible. But we need your help.

For more than 125 years, The Register has been a trusted source of faith-based journalism. By making even a small donation you help ensure our future as an important voice in the Catholic Church. If you support the mission of Catholic journalism, please donate today. Thank you.

DONATE