Pope to make pastoral visit to San Marino in June.

(February 23, 2011) Pope Benedict XVI will pay a pastoral visit to San Marino and Pennabilli, in Italy next June 19, the Holy See’s Press Office announced on Wednesday. The Republic of San Marino, the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world is situated on the eastern side of Italy’s Apennine Mountains. Its size of just a little over 61 sqms. has a population of some 30.000.
The Pope’s forthcoming visit was described as a “significant event” by Bishop Luigi Negri of the Diocese of Montefeltro in San Marino. The Pope will travel up and down by helicopter from the Vatican. The highlights of the Pope’s one day visit is the celebration of Mass at San Marino’s Serraville Stadium and his meeting with youth at Pennabilli .