The first Pope from the Americas has kicked off his first Apostolic Visit to Armenia.
Pope Francis’ flight touched down about 2:50 p.m. local time (12:50 p.m. Rome time), in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, where he was welcomed by the nation’s President and religious leaders. This April, Francis had accepted the invitation of Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenia, His Holiness Karekin II, the civil authorities, and the Catholic Church in Armenia to visit their nation.
This voyage mark’s the Pontiff’s 14th Apostolic Journey abroad. Armenia, the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion, has a mountainous terrain and borders to the west Turkey, to the north Giorgia, to the east Azerbaijan and to the south Iran.
The Pontiff will visit this region again, when traveling to the countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan, Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. The visit in the Caucasus region at the border of Europe and Asia, situated between the Black and the Caspian seas, follows his accepting the invitation of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, His Holiness and Beatitude Ilia II, and the two nations’ civil and religious authorities.
Below is the Vatican released program, detailing Pope Francis’ apostolic visit this weekend to Armenia:
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Pope’s Program: June 24-26
Friday, June 24, 2016
09:00: Departure by plane from Rome’s Fiumicino Airport to Yerevan
15:00: Arrival at the”Zvartnots” International Airport in Yerevan
WELCOME CEREMONY at Airport
15:35: VISIT OF PRAYER AT THE APOSTOLIC CATHEDRAL in Etchmiadzin
(Greetings of the Catholicos and Holy Father)
18:00: COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC at the Presidential Palace
18:30: MEETING with CIVIL AUTHORITIES and the Diplomatic Corps in the Presidential Palace
(Discourse of the Holy Father)
19:30: PERSONAL MEETING WITH THE CATHOLICOS in the Apostolic Palace
Saturday, June 25, 2016:
08:45: VISIT TO THE TZITZERNAKABERD MEMORIAL COMPLEX
10:00: Transfer by plane to Gyumri
11:00: Holy Mass in Vartanants Square in Gyumri
(Homily of the Holy Father)
(Greeting of the Catholicos)
16:45: VISIT TO THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CATHEDRAL OF THE SEVEN PLAGUES in Gyumri
17:15: VISIT TO THE ARMENIAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL OF THE MARTYR SAINTS in Gyumri
18:00: Transfer by plane to Yerevan
19:00: ECUMENICAL MEETING AND PRAYER FOR PEACE in the Republic Square in Yerevan
(Speeches of the Catholicos and the Holy Father)
Sunday, June 26, 2016:
09:15: MEETING with ARMENIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS at the Apostolic Palace in Etchmiadzin
10:00: Participation in the Divine Liturgy in the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral
(Homily of the Catholicos) (Holy Father’s Greeting)
ECUMENICAL LUNCH with the Catholicos, archbishops and bishops of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Catholic Bishops, and the Cardinals and Bishops of the Papal Entourage in the Apostolic Palace
15:50: MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH AND Benefactors in the Apostolic Palace
16:05: SIGNATURE OF JOINT DECLARATION in the Apostolic Palace
17:00: PRAYER in Khor Virap Monastery
18:15: FAREWELL CEREMONY at Airport
18:30: Departure by plane for Rome
20:40: Arrival at Rome / Ciampino
Time zone
Rome: UTC + 2 hours
Yerevan: UTC + 4 hours
Gyumri: UTC + 4 hours
[Program Published by the Holy See Press Office]
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Further overview: https://zenit.org/articles/vatican-spokesman-gives-overview-of-popes-trip-this-weekend/
