The Vatican has released the program of Pope Francis’ visit to the Italian city of Caserta this Saturday.
The Pope, who will be visiting over two days 26 and 28 July, split up into private and public events, will be celebrating a public Mass and meeting with diocesan priests on his earlier visit.
After a 3 p.m. flight Saturday from the Vatican into the heliport of the Italian Air Force School in the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Pontiff will first visit the Air Force Officer’s Club, where he will meet with diocesan priests at 4.p.m.
His next engagement is a Eucharistic celebration, to take place at 6 p.m. in the square adjacent to the Royal Palace. The Holy Father will preside over the public Mass for the feast of St. Ann.
Finally, Pope Francis will depart for Rome at 7:30 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Vatican City around 8:15 p.m.
The private part of the visit will be on Monday when the Pope meets his friend Fr. Giovanni Traettino, who had invited him to visit Caserta. On the Sunday in between, the Vatican confirmed Francis, as usual, will pray the Angelus with the faithful in St. Peter’s Square.
Last month, when Francis met with a group of evangelical pastors in Rome, it was reported that a pastor friend he “had already known well from his time in Buenos Aires” extended the invitation, to which the Pope agreed.
Caserta has a population of some 80,000 people, mostly Catholic, and is an important agricultural, commercial and industrial comune and city. (D.C.L.)
