Vatican releases official schedule of Pope's visit to Holy Land

(March 26, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI will visit the Holy Land from May 5 to 15, touching Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The Vatican on Thursday released the details of the visit, which will be Pope Benedict’s first to the region.
The Pope will begin his trip on May 5 flying to Jordan’s capital Amman where he will stay till May 11. In Jordan he will pay a courtesy visit to the royal family and visit Mount Nebo from where Moses beheld the Promised Land. He is also scheduled to hold meetings with Muslim religious leaders, the diplomatic corps and Catholic clergy, seminarians and ecclesial movements. On Sunday, May 10, he will celebrate an open-air Mass at Amman’s stadium and later visit Bethany and beyond, the site of the baptism of Jesus.
The following morning he will fly to Israeli capital, Tel-Aviv, and in the afternoon will proceed to Jerusalem, where he will meet the Israeli president and pay a visit the Yad Vashem holocaust memorial. Among his other appointments in Jerusalem are meetings with the grand mufti and grand rabbi of Jerusalem and a visit to the Wailing Wall of Jerusalem.
Pope Benedict will pay a one-day visit to the Palestinian territory on May 13, beginning with a Mass in Bethlehem’s Manger Square and a visit to the nearby Nativity Church. He is also scheduled to meet the president of the Palestinian Authority and visit the refugee camp in Bethlehem.
May 14 will be dedicated to Nazareth, in Israel, where in the morning the Holy Father will celebrate Mass. In the afternoon he will meet hold meetings with the Israeli prime minister and religious heads of Galilee. He will visit the Grotto of the Annunciation in Nazareth and pray the Vespers with the Catholic clergy, workers and members of ecclesial movements. On the last day, May 15, the Pope will be in Jerusalem again where he will hold an ecumenical meeting, visit the Holy Sepulchre and the Armenian Apostolic Church before flying back to Rome.