Pope Benedict XVI will start his September visit of the Czech Republic in the Church of the Virgin Mary Victorious in Prague which hosts the famous statuette of Infant Jesus, Czech bishops told journalists today, adding that this was Benedict XVI's own wish. The bishops presented details of the Pope's Czech itinerary, as disclosed by the Vatican today.
The Pope will visit the Czech Republic on September 26-28.
"He has not given any concrete reason for his wish. However, it is understandable, in view of Prague Infant Jesus's importance and also as an emphasis of the pastoral character of the visit, which will partly be a state visit," Prague Bishop Vaclav Maly, the visit's coordinator, told CTK and Czech Radio.
Mayors of 22 Prague districts will welcome the Pope in front of the church. They will be invited to enter the church along with the Pope.
The statuette of Infant Jesus daily attracts visitors from all over the world, who come to beg for help and recovery.
In addition, there is a copy of the statue of the Virgin Mary of Aparecida, the saint patron of Brazil, in the Prague church.
On September 26 the Pope will also meet Czech President Vaclav Klaus and leading Czech politicians and personalities.
Then he will have a joint prayer with priests, monks and religious movements' members in Prague's St Vitus cathedral.
On Sunday, September 27, he will visit Brno, the centre of Moravia. He will serve a mass at the Brno-Turany airport.
In Brno he will bless bells and foundation stones of planned church buildings.
On Sunday afternoon he will return to Prague to meet representatives of the academic community and of the Oecumenical Council of Churches in the Czech Republic.
The last day of Benedict XVI's Czech visit will be Monday, September 28, the Day of St Wenceslas, saint patron of Bohemia.
The Pope is to celebrate a mass in Stara Boleslav, north of Prague, the place of St Wenceslas' martyr's death in the early 10th century where a pilgrimage annually takes place on September 28.
The Pope is also to meet young people before departing from Prague at about 18:00.
Benedict XVI is the second Pope to visit the Czech Republic during his pontificate. His predecessor, John Paul II, visited the Czech lands three times, in 1990, 1995 and 1997.
This will be Benedict XVI's 13th official visit abroad. Out of European countries he has visited only Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria and France so far.
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