(12 April 2007) : The Holy See released Wednesday the full schedule for the pastoral
visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Brazil on May 9 to 14. The Holy Father will leave Rome's
Fiumicino airport on Wednesday morning, 9th May, for the flight to Sao
Paulo, arriving there in the mid-afternoon local time. After an airport welcome ceremony
he will travel by helicopter to the city of Sao Paulo, where he will be greeted by
local officials. Then he will continue by car to the Sao Bento monastery where he
will spend the night. He is expected to make an evening appearance at the balcony
of the monastery to greet the public and give his blessing. On Thursday, after a private
Mass, the Pope will make a courtesy visit to Brazil's President Luiz Inacio "Lula"
da Silva, at the presidential palace in Sao Paulo. Returning to the Sao Bento monastery,
he will meet with the leaders of other Christian groups and then have lunch with the
Brazilian bishops. Late in the afternoon he will cross the city to a soccer stadium
for an evening meeting with Brazilian youth and then return to the monastery for the
night.
On Friday, 11th May, the Holy Father will travel in the
popemobile to the Campo de Marte, an old airport outside Sao Paulo, where he will
celebrate Mass and proclaim the canonization of Blessed Frei Galvao. In the afternoon,
he will address the Brazilian bishops in the cathedral of Sao Paulo. Then in the evening
he will travel by helicopter to Aparecida, the site of Brazil's most famous shrine
and the location for this year's meeting of the Latin American bishops' conference
CELAM. At Aparecida the Pope will stay at the Bom Jesus seminary. After spending the
night there, and celebrating Mass privately on Saturday morning, he will visit the
Fazenda da Esperanca, a facility for recovering drug addicts. That afternoon he will
pray the Rosary, in the basilica of Aparecida, with priests, religious, and seminarians.
On Sunday, May 13, the Pope will preside at Mass opening the 5th general meeting
of CELAM. The Mass will take place on the plaza outside the basilica, to accommodate
what is expected to be an enormous congregation. He will lead the Regina Caeli after
the conclusion of Mass. In the afternoon he will participate in the first sessions
of the CELAM conference, which will be held in a hall at the Marian shrine. Then in
the evening he will take a helicopter back to Sao Paulo's international airport. After
a departure ceremony on Sunday night, Pope Benedict will board his return flight,
which is due to arrive at Rome's Ciampino airport shortly after midday on Monday,
14th May.