Pope travelling to Czech Republic

(Sept 25, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI is starting a 3-day visit to the Czech Republic on Saturday. The September 26-28 visit to the capital, Prague, and Brno, has at its theme, “ The love of Christ is our strength.” On Saturday the Pope will fly to Prague where he will visit the famous Infant Jesus of Prague at the Church of Our Lady of Victory. Later, he will meet president Vaclav Klaus privately at his palace and then address a gathering of civil, political and the diplomatic corps. He will conclude the day with a vespers service with priests, religious, seminarians and lay movements at the city’s cathedral. The following day, Sunday, the Pope will fly to Brno, the country’s second most important city, some 200 kms south east of Prague. There he will celebrate Mass at the airport, and then fly back to Prague where an ecumenical meeting is scheduled in the afternoon. On September 28, Monday, he will celebrate an open air Mass on the feast of St. Wenceslaus, the patron of the Czech Republic. After a meeting with Czech bishops in the afternoon the Pope will fly back to Rome