Peace will be Pope's message to Sarajevo
May 28, 2015
Pope Francis will bring a message of peace to Sarajevo when he visits the city on June 6.
“Peace be with you” is the theme for the one-day papal visit to a city still troubled by memories of the bloodshed of the 1990s.
Bosnia-Herzegovina remains ethnically and religiously divided. The largest population block is made up of Bosnian Muslims, who account for 40% of the population. Serbs, mostly Orthodox, are the 2nd-largest group, with Catholic Croats making up about 15% of the population.
The Pope will be met at the airport by the Croatian member of the 3-man presidency. He will address civil leaders and diplomats, then celebrate Mass in the city’s Olympic stadium. After lunch with the country’s bishops and a meeting with clergy and religious, he will hold an interfaith meeting at a Franciscan center.
The final stop on the Pope’s itinerary will be a youth center, where he will hear from young people speaking about the challenges of living in a divided country with a soaring unemployment rate.
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Further information:
- Programme of Pope Francis' pastoral visit to Sarajevo (Vatican Radio)
- Full schedule released for Pope's June trip to Sarajevo (CWN, 4/14)
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