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Catholic World News News Feature

Full schedule set for Pope's Brazil trip April 11, 2007

The Vatican has released the full schedule for the pastoral visit by Pope Benedict XVI to Brazil on May 9- 14.

The Holy Father will leave Rome's Fiumicino airport on Wednesday morning, May 9, 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, 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, then return to the monastery for the night.

On Friday, May 11, 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, after a quiet lunch, 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. He will have return to the Bom Jesus seminary for lunch with the leadership of CELAM. 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, then return to the seminary for lunch. 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, May 14.