VATICAN CITY, MARCH 12, 2010 (Zenit.org).- The Archdiocese of Turin has published the program for its most high-profile visitor to the Holy Shroud exposition: the Pope will spend May 2 in the Italian city.
The shroud — believed to be the cloth in which Christ was buried — will be on display April 10 to May 23 at the Turin Cathedral. The last time it was displayed was 10 years ago.
Cardinal Severino Poletto, Turin’s archbishop, affirmed Tuesday his certainty that «Benedict XVI’s pastoral visit to our city and diocese will mark a new glorious page in the already rich history of faith of our Church in Turin.»
The cardinal exhorted his faithful to show their «affection and sincere communion with his Person and his magisterium.»
The Holy Father will arrive in Turin at 9:15 a.m. and immediately meet with city authorities.
At 10 a.m., he will preside over a solemn Eucharistic celebration and then recite the Regina Caeli, offering a short address.
Cardinal Poletto noted that «in order to manifest unity and communion with the Holy Father and to foster the participation of the priests and faithful in the Pope’s Holy Mass, at that moment other Masses will not be celebrated in the territory of the archdiocese.»
After Mass, Benedict XVI will have lunch with the bishops of the Piedmont region. And in the afternoon, he will meet with youth and give another address.
At 5:15 p.m., he will go to the cathedral where he will spend some time in the Chapel of the Most Blessed Sacrament for Eucharistic adoration. Afterward he will venerate the Holy Shroud, and will propose a meditation on the topic «Passio Christi, Passio Hominis.»
After an hour in the cathedral, he will visit the Little House of the Cottolengo, where he will visit the sick and residents of the house. There he will receive the greeting of Aldo Sarotto, superior-general of the Cottolengo spiritual family.
At 7 pm the Pope will leave Turin by car and go to the airport of Caselle. After bidding farewell to the authorities, he will board a plane for Rome, where it is expected he will arrive around 8:30 p.m..