Subject: VISnews 120103
Organization: VIS
From: Vatican Information Service - Eng - txt
VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
TWENTY SECOND YEAR - N. 2
ENGLISH
TUESDAY, 3 JANUARY 2012
SUMMARY:
- Programme of the Pope's Apostolic Trip to Mexico and Cuba
- More Than 2.5 Million Faithful Meet the Pope in 2011
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PROGRAMME OF THE POPE'S APOSTOLIC TRIP TO MEXICO AND CUBA
VATICAN CITY, 3 JAN 2012 (VIS) - Yesterday the episcopal conferences of
Mexico and Cuba published separate press communiques announcing details of
Benedict XVI's forthcoming visit to those countries, due to take place from
23 to 28 March. The Holy Father had expressed his intention to make an
apostolic trip to Mexico and Cuba during a Mass celebrated in the Vatican
Basilica on 12 December, Solemnity of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patron of Latin
America.
The note issued by the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate explains that
the Pope will arrive at the airport of Leon in the State of Guanajuato on
the afternoon of Friday 23 March. He will be greeted there by Felipe
Calderon Hinojosa, president of Mexico, by members of the episcopal
conference and by Archbishop Jose Guadalupe Martin of Leon. During his stay,
the Holy Father will lodge in the residence of the Miraflores College in
Leon.
On Saturday 24 March, he will travel to the Casa del Conde Rul in the city
of Guanajuato, the headquarters of the State Government, where he will hold
an official meeting with President Calderon Hinojosa. After the meeting the
Pope will greet and bless children and faithful gathered in the city's Plaza
de la Paz.
On the morning of Sunday 25 March Benedict XVI will preside at Mass in the
Parque Bicentenario in the municipality of Silao, at the foot of hill known
as the Cerro del Cubilete at the top of which is a statue of Christ the
King. Following the ceremony he is due to meet with representatives from the
ninety-one dioceses of Mexico. That evening the Holy Father will preside at
Vespers in the cathedral of Leon with Mexican bishops and representatives of
other Latin American episcopates, to whom he will address a message.
On the morning of Monday 26 March, the Pope will take his official leave
of the civil and religious authorities of Mexico at the airport of Leon,
before flying to Cuba.
The note published by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba explains
that the Pope is due to arrive in Santiago de Cuba in the early afternoon of
26 March. He will be welcomed by Raul Castro, president of Cuba, by members
of the episcopal conference and by Archbishop Dionisio Garcia Ibanez of
Santiago. The Holy Father will then travel by open-top car to the Plaza de
la Revolucion where he will celebrate Mass for the Solemnity of the
Annunciation. After the ceremony, the Pope will move on to the nearby mining
town of El Cobre where he will lodge in a residence for priests.
On the morning of Tuesday 27 March the Holy Father will make a private
visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity where he will pray before the
image of the patron of Cuba. He will then go to the airport of Santiago to
fly to the capital city Havana, where he is due to arrive at midday. He will
be welcomed there by Cardinal Jaime Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of Havana
and by other religious and civil authorities. That afternoon the Pope will
hold an official meeting with President Castro, then meet with Cuban bishops
in the apostolic nunciature.
On the morning of Wednesday 28 March, the Pope will preside at Mass in the
Plaza de la Revolucion "Jose Marti". In the early afternoon he will be taken
by open-top car to the airport of Havana were, following the departure
ceremony, he will board his return flight for Rome.
PV-MEXICO:CUBA/ VIS 20120103 (600)
MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION FAITHFUL MEET THE POPE IN 2011
VATICAN CITY, 3 JAN 2012 (VIS) - The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household
has published a communique announcing that, during the course of 2011,
2,553,800 faithful participated in various meetings with Benedict XVI
including general audiences (400,000), private audiences (101,800),
liturgical celebrations (846,000), Angelus and Regina Coeli (1,206,000).
These statistics, which show an increase with respect to the last three
years, refer only to meetings that took place in the Vatican or
Castelgandolfo, and do not include the many thousands of faithful who came
to see the Holy Father on his journeys in Italy or abroad.
The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household explains that the numbers are
approximate, calculated on the basis of requests to participate in meetings
with the Pope and on the tickets distributed, as well as on estimations of
people present at events such as the Angelus or large celebrations in St.
Peter's Square. The single event which brought together the largest number
of faithful was the beatification of John Paul II on 1 May.
PD/ VIS
20120103 (180)
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