Mons. Marini satisfied with
preparations for Pope's visit
LUANDA, Feb. 13 (Adapted from Angop) – The work of preparation for Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Angola, scheduled for March 20-23 this year, is progreesing well, with the cooperation between the Angolan government and the Catholic Church, a Vatican representative said Thursday.
Mons. Guido Marini, head of papal liturgical celebrations, spoke to ANGOP after visiting the sites where the Pope will celebrate Mass and other liturgies, saying preparations are at an advanced stage.
"I came here with my collaborators in preparation for the Holy Father's visit and I now have a good overview of what is being done", he said.
Mons. Marini visited Cimangola square, São Paulo and Santo António parishes and Coqueiros stadium, places where the Pope will officiate at religious ceremonies.
At São Paulo Parish, the Brazilian civil engineering firm of Odebrecht has been fixing the walls of the cathedral, repainting statues, and rehabilitating the pavements and road in front of the church. Odebrecht is also in charge of preparing Cimangola Square for a scheduled open-air Papal Mass.
Pope Benedict XVI is expected in Luanda on March 20, coming from Cameroon, and will be received at Luanda's 4 de Fevreiro International Airport by religious entities, diplomats and politicians.
More open talk now of
Pope's Holy Land visit
By Ruth Ellen Gruber ·
ROME, Feb. 13 (JTA) -- Vatican officials are planning Pope Benedict XVI's spring trip to Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.
Monsignor Antonio Franco, the papal nuncio in Israel, told the Catholic news service SIR that the trip will be primarily "a pastoral visit" to local Catholic communities. This, however, did not exclude meetings with Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian political leaders.
In an interview with SIR published Friday, Franco said the focus of the trip would be "peace and reconciliation." So far, he said, there were no plans for the Pope to try to visit Gaza.
He said the Pope will celebrate three public Masses, in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Galilee. The Pope will also "meet leaders of other Christian denominations" as well and local Jewish and Muslim leaders, he said.
The Pope himself gave the first public confirmation of such a trip during his meeting Thursday at the Vatican with a delegation from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.
No details on dates or schedule have been released, but various sources say the trip will take place in May.
Forum members will recall, of course. that on February 9, the usually reliable Andrea Tornielli wrote an advance story that describes the highlights of the Pope's proposed program in the Holy Land.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 15/02/2009 23:08]