VATICAN CITY, MAY 2, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Here is the itinerary for the upcoming pilgrimage of John Paul II to Greece, Syria and Malta.
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ITALY
Friday, 4 May 2001 Fiumicino (Rome)
08.30 Departure by airplane from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport of Fiumicino (Rome) for Athens (Greece).
GREECE
Spata (Athens)
11.30 Arrival at the new international airport of Spata (Athens).
Athens
12.15 Arrival at the Presidential Palace of Athens.
Welcome ceremony in the Garden of the Presidential Palace of Athens.
12.45 Courtesy visit to the president of the Hellenic Republic at the Presidential Palace of Athens. Speech by the Holy Father.
13.30 Arrival at the Orthodox Archdiocesan Palace of Athens.
Courtesy visit to His Beatitude Christodoulos, archbishop of Athens and primate of Greece at the Orthodox Archdiocesan Palace of Athens. Speech by the Holy Father.
14.30 Arrival at the Apostolic Nunciature of Athens.
Meeting with the Catholic Bishops of Greece at the Apostolic Nunciature of Athens. Speech by the Holy Father.
17.45 Arrival at the Catholic Cathedral of Athens.
Private visit to the Catholic Cathedral of Athens.
18.30 Arrival at the Areopagus of Athens.
Pilgrimage to the Areopagus in memory of St. Paul the Apostle near to the great hill of the Areopagus of Athens.
19.45 Arrival at the Apostolic Nunciature of Athens.
20.15 Courtesy visit by His Beatitude Christodoulos to the Hold Father at the Apostolic Nunciature of Athens.
Saturday, 5 May 2001
08.00 Arrival at the Sacristy of the Sport Palace of Athens.
08.15 Holy Mass at the Sport Palace in the complex of the Olympic Center of Athens. Homily by the Holy Father.
Spata (Athens)
11.15 Arrival at the new International Airport of Spata (Athens).
Farewell Ceremony at the new International Airport of Spata (Athens).
11.45 Departure by airplane from the new International Airport of Spata (Athens) to Damascus (Syria).
SYRIA
Damascus
14.00 Arrival at the International Airport of Damascus.
Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of Damascus. Speech by the Holy Father.
17.45 Arrival at the Presidential Palace of Damascus.
Courtesy visit to the president of the Syrian Arab Republic at the Presidential Palace of Damascus.
18.55 Arrival at the Greek-Orthodox Cathedral of Damascus.
19.00 Ecumenical meeting at the Greek-Orthodox Cathedral of Damascus. Speech by the Holy Father.
Sunday, 6 May 2001
09.00 Arrival at the Abbassyin Stadium of Damascus.
09.15 Arrival at the Sacristy in the Abbassyin Stadium of Damascus.
09.30 Holy Mass at the Abbassyin Stadium of Damascus. Homily by the Holy Father.
Prayer of the “Regina Coeli” at the Abbassyin Stadium of Damascus. Words by the Holy Father.
12.30 Arrival at the Greek-Catholic Patriarchate of Damascus.
13.00 Meeting with patriarchs and bishops of Syria at the Greek-Catholic Patriarchate of Damascus. Speech by the Holy Father.
17.00 Arrival at the Syrian-Orthodox Cathedral of Damascus.
Meeting with clergy, religious and Christian laity of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches of Syria at the Syrian-Orthodox Cathedral of Damascus. Speech by the Holy Father.
18.15 Arrival at the Omayyad Great Mosque of Damascus, Visit to the St. John Baptist´s Memorial and meeting with the Muslim leaders. Speech by the Holy Father.
Monday, 7 May 2001
07.30 Holy Mass in private in the Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature of Damascus.
09.15 Arrival at the Church of St. Paul on the Wall in the Bab Kissan gate of the old Walls of Damascus.
Visit to the Church of St. Paul on the Wall in the Bab Kissan gate of the old Walls of Damascus.
09.45 Arrival at the St. Paul’s Memorial of Damascus.
Visit to the St. Paul’s Memorial of Damascus.
10.15 Departure by car for Qunaytra.
Qunaytra
11.15 Arrival at the Greek-Orthodox Church in Qunaytra.
Prayer for Peace at the Greek-Orthodox Church in Qunaytra, at the Golan Heights. Prayer by the Holy Father.
12.00 Departure by car for Damascus.
Damascus
13.00 Arrival at the Apostolic Nunciature of Damascus.
17.40 Arrival at the Greek-Catholic Cathedral of Damascus.
17.45 Youth meeting at the Greek-Catholic Cathedral of Damascus. Speech by the Holy Father.
Tuesday, 8 May 2001
07.30 Holy Mass in private in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature of Damascus.
10.15 Farewell from the Apostolic Nunciature of Damascus.
11.00 Arrival at the International Airport of Damascus.
Farewell Ceremony at the International Airport of Damascus. Greeting by the Holy Father.
11.30 Departure by airplane from the International Airport of Damascus to Gudja (Malta).
Malta
Gudja
14.00 Arrival at Gudja International Airport.
Welcome ceremony at Gudja International Airport. Speech by the Holy Father.
Valletta
18.00 Arrival at the Presidential Palace of Valletta.
Courtesy visit to the president of the Republic at the Presidential Palace of Valletta.
Wednesday, 9 May 2001 Floriana
09.00 Arrival at the “Granaries” of Floriana.
09.30 Holy Mass with beatifications in the “Granaries” of Floriana. Homily by the Holy Father.
Rabat
12.45 Arrival at the Apostolic Nunciature of Rabat.
13.00 Meeting with the bishops of Malta at the Apostolic Nunciature of Rabat.
Hamrun
16.30 Arrival at the Church of the Center of the Society of Christian Doctrine at Hamrun.
Visit at the tomb of the Venerable Father George Preca in the Church of the Center of the Society of Christian Doctrine at Hamrun.
Meeting with the members of the “Societas Doctrinae Cristianae” in the Auditorium of the Center of the Society of Christian Doctrine at Hamrun. Speech by the Holy Father.
Gudja
18.30 Arrival at Gudja International Airport.
Farewell Ceremony at Gudja International Airport. Greeting by the Holy Father.
19.00 Departure by airplane from Gudja International Airport to Rome.
ITALY
Ciampino (Rome)
20.30 Arrival at Ciampino Airport (Rome).
Time lag
Rome: + 2 UTC
Greece: + 3 UTC
Syria: + 3 UTC
Malta: + 2 UTC
[Original text: English-Italian; supplied by Vatican]
