Pope Francis will visit two prominent northern Italian cities in 2017.
First, on March 25, Francis will visit Milan, confirmed the Holy See Press Office Saturday. Initially, this visit was planned for May 7, 2016. However, on Dec. 10, 2015, the Vatican Secretariat of State announced that the Holy Father wished to postpone his official visits in Italy during the Holy Year, in order to fulfill his Jubilee commitments.
In statements to the media on Saturday afternoon, Cardinal Scola, Archbishop of Milan, said, “It’s a great gift the Pope is giving us.” He also said that they would formulate “the program well” and prepare themselves “in the parishes, seeking to dialogue with this great city, with this plural reality,” so that the Holy Father’s presence “is another factor of growth for Milan.”
When Cardinal Scola announced the Pope’s visit Saturday, he explained: “this is a sign of the Holy Father’s affection and esteem for the Ambrosian Church, the city of Milan and the whole of Lombardy.” “We want to show our gratitude to the Pope because he will come to confirm us in the faith,” he added.
The visit to the Archdiocese of Genoa on May 27, whose Archbishop is Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, was announced Sunday afternoon by the Holy See Press Office.
