Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Holy Father to visit Bari in February

The Holy Father, Pope Francis will return to Bari next month in order to partake in a meeting for reflection and spirituality entitled Mediterranean Border of Peace.  The meeting will take place on 23 February 2020.


Programme for the visit of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to Bari for a meeting for reflection and spirituality

Sunday, 23 February 2020
7:00am local time (1:00am EST)
Departure of the helicopter from the Vatican heliport.

8:15am
Arrival at Christopher Columbus Square in Bari.
The Holy Father will be welcomed by His Excellency, Francesco Cacucci, Archbishop of Bari-Bitonto; the Honourable Michele Emiliano, President of the Region of Puglia; Doctor Antonella Bellomo, Prefect of Bari; and the Honourable Antonio Decaro, Mayor of Bari.

The Holy Father will travel by car to the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Nicholas.

8:30am
At the Basilica of Saint Nicolas, there will be a meeting with the Bishops of the Mediterranean.  The gathering will be introduced by Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference.  Contributions will then be added by Cardinal Vinko Puljić, Archbishop of Vrhbosna and President of the Episcopal Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina; and by His Excellency, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, titular Archbishop of Verbe and Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

The Holy Father will then share his speech.

This will be followed by words of gratitude which will be offered by His Excellency, Paul Desfarges, SJ, Archbishop of Alger (Algeria) who is President of the Regional Episcopal Conference for North Africa (CERNA).

The Holy Father will then greet all the Bishops who will be participating in the meeting.

His Holiness will then descend to the crypt of the Basilica to venerate the relics of Saint Nicholas and to greet members of the Dominican Fathers who will be waiting there.  Then, leaving the Basilica, the Holy Father will stop in the square outside the church to greet those who will be waiting in the Square.

Pope Francis will then travel by car to the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II

10:45am
The Holy Father will preside at the Eucharistic celebration which will take place at the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II.  During the celebration, His Holiness will give the homily, and at the conclusion of the Mass, will lead the recitation of the Angelus.

12:30pm
The helicopter carrying the Holy Father will depart from Christopher Columbus Square.

1:45pm
Arrival of the helicopter at the Vatican heliport.

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