Friday, April 22, 2011

Pope to meet Catholic families, pray at tomb of martyr in Croatia

Pope Benedict XVI will meet with politicians and professionals, families and clergy on his first trip to Croatia June 4-5.

He will fly to the Croatian capital of Zagreb for an event-packed two-day trip that begins with a visit to President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. 

Later in the day, he will meet with the country's civic, academic, business and cultural leaders. 

In the evening, he will join young people in a prayer vigil in a Zagreb square.

On June 5, Pope Benedict will celebrate a Mass dedicated to Croatian Catholic families in the city's Hippodrome.

One of the highlights will be during an evening liturgy with bishops, priests and religious, when he will pray at the tomb of Blessed Alojzije Stepinac, the archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 to 1960. 

The cardinal was persecuted by the communist regime of Marshal Tito and died a martyr.

Here is the schedule for the pope's trip as released April 18 by the Vatican. 

Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parentheses.

Saturday, June 4 (Rome, Zagreb)

-- 9:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m.), Departure from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci Airport.

-- 11 a.m. (5 a.m.), Arrival at Zagreb's Pleso International Airport. Speech by the pope.

-- 12:15 p.m. (6:15 a.m.), Courtesy visit with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic.

-- 1:50 p.m. (7:50 a.m.), Meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor at the apostolic nunciature.

-- 2 p.m. (8 a.m.), Lunch with members of the papal entourage at the apostolic nunciature.

-- 6:15 p.m. (12:15 p.m.), Meeting with members of civil, political, academic, cultural and business sectors of Croatian society, with the diplomatic corps and religious leaders at the Croatian National Theater. Speech by the pope.

-- 7:30 p.m. (1:30 p.m.), Prayer vigil with young people in the Ban Josip Jelacic Square in Zagreb. Speech by the pope.

Sunday, June 5 (Zagreb, Rome)

-- 10 a.m. (4 a.m.), Celebration of Mass for the National Croatian Catholic Families Day at the Zagreb Hippodrome. Homily by the pope. After the Mass, recitation of the Angelus and greeting by the pope.

-- 2 p.m. (8 a.m.), Dinner with Croatian bishops, with guest bishops and papal entourage in the new headquarters of the Croatian bishops' conference in Zagreb.

-- 4:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m.), Farewell at the apostolic nunciature.

-- 5 p.m. (11 a.m.), Celebration of vespers with bishops, priests, religious and seminarians; prayer at the tomb of Blessed Alojzije Viktor Stepinac in the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and St. Stephen Cathedral in Zagreb. Speech by the pope.

-- 6:15 p.m. (12:15 p.m.), Visit to the residence of the archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Josip Bozanic.

-- 7:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m.), Farewell ceremony at Pleso International Airport. Speech by the pope.

-- 7:45 p.m. (1:45 p.m.), Departure for Rome.

-- 9:15 p.m. (3:15 p.m.), Arrival at Rome's Ciampino airport.