Pope’s itinerary for Spanish trip published

Less than a week after his most recent Apostolic voyage to the UK, on Friday the Vatican published the itinerary for Pope Benedict XVI's forthcoming trip to Spain, which is due to take him to the cities of Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona from 6 to 7 November. The Pope will depart from Rome's Fiumicino airport at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday 6 November, arriving in Santiago de Compostela at 11.30 a.m. where he will pronounce an address and meet the Prince and Princess of Asturias.

At 1 p.m. he will visit the cathedral of Santiago and greet the faithful there. At 1.40 p.m. he is due to have lunch in the archbishopric with Spanish cardinals and members of the executive committee of the Spanish Episcopal Conference. At 4.30 p.m. he will celebrate Mass and pronounce a homily for the Compostela Holy Year in the city's Plaza de Obradoiro. The Holy Father will depart by plane from Santiago de Compostela at 9.15 p.m. and fly to Barcelona.

At 9.30 a.m. on Sunday 7 November, Pope Benedict will have a private meeting with the King and Queen of Spain in the Museum Hall of Barcelona's church of the "Sagrada Familia". At 10 a.m. the Holy Father will preside at Mass, during which he will consecrate the church of the "Sagrada Familia" and the altar. Following the Eucharistic celebration he will exit the church into the adjoining square of the same name to pray the Angelus and pronounce some words to faithful gathered there.

Following lunch with cardinals and bishops in the archbishopric of Barcelona, at 5.15 p.m. the Pope will visit the "Obra Benefico-Social Nen Deu", then travel directly to Barcelona airport where the departure ceremony will take place. The Pope's flight is due to take off at 7.15 p.m. and is scheduled to land at Ciampino airport in Rome at 8.55 p.m.