Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Pope Benedict entrusted his imminent 6 day visit to southern Germany to the Blessed Virgin Mary when he addressed thousands people at the Wednesday audience in St Peter’s square on September 6 and asked to be accompanied by prayers. “I ask you to pray for the apostolic visit I am about to make to Germany on Saturday. I thank the Lord for this opportunity to visit, for the first time since my election as Bishop of Rome, my homeland Bavaria. Please accompany me dear friends on this journey which I entrust to the Blessed Virgin Mary. May she guide my steps and obtain for the people of Germany a new springtime of faith and civil progress”. The theme chosen by the local Bishops for the occasion is: “Wer glaubt ist nie allein” “A believer is never alone”.
On Saturday 9 September the Pope will depart from Rome’s Ciampino airport at 13.45 and is expected to arrive in Munich, at 3.30pm. After the welcome ceremony the Pope will go to the central Mariensäule (Mary’s Column) in Marienplatz where he will pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, patron saint of Baviera, and address the people. To follow, a courtesy visit to the Federal President of Germany Horst Köhler, and meetings with Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Minister President of Bavaria, Edmund Stoiber.
On Sunday 10 September at 10am the Pope will preside open air Mass at Neue Messe Place Munich, followed by the midday Angelus prayer. In the afternoon he will preside Vespers at 5.30 in Munich Cathedral.
On Monday 11 September the Pope will travel by helicopter to Altötting, a Marian Shrine for the whole of Germany and central Europe with one million visitors every year. At 10.30am he will celebrated open air Mass followed by a procession with the Blessed Sacrament accompanied by a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The procession will move from the Marian Shrine to a new Anbetungskapelle (Chapel for Adoration), adjoining the parish church of St Philip and James which will be inaugurated on this occasion. In the afternoon the Pope will preside Vespers with the men and women religious and the seminarians of Bavaria at St Anne’s Basilica, in Altötting. After vespers he will travel by car to Marktl am Inn, to visit the parish church of St. Oswald, where Joseph Ratzinger was baptised on 16 April 1927. After this visit the Pope will be flown by helicopter back to Regensburg.
Tuesday 12 September at 10.45 the Pope will celebrate open air Mass in Islinger Feld, Regensburg. In the afternoon at 5pm he will have a meeting with the world of science at Regensburg University, followed by Ecumenical Vespers in the Cathedral at 6.30.
The papal programme on Wednesday 13 September will be private visita: Mass at St. Wolfgang Seminary, Regensburg; blessing of a new organ in the Alte Kapelle (Old Chapel) ; visit to the home of his brother Mgr Georg Ratzinger; visit to Ziegetzdorf cemetry and St Joseph’s church; private visit to his home at Pentling where he lived while teaching at the Regensburg University.
On Thursday 14 September the Pope will celebrate private Mass at St. Wolfgang Seminary in Regensburg, and then fly by helicopter to Freising, for a meeting with the clergy and permanent deacons at 10.45 in the cathedral dedicated to St Mary and St. Corbin. The Pope will then travel to Franz Joseph Strauss airport Munich for the farewell ceremony and departure for Rome where he is due to land at Ciampino airport at 2.30. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 8/9/2006, righe 44, parole 616)
