November 13,2006
Itinerary of Benedict XVI’s trip to Turkey published
VATICAN CITY (Zenit.org) — The Vatican press office has published a general
outline of the itinerary and agenda for Benedict XVI’s upcoming apostolic
trip to Turkey.
Vatican Radio, directed by Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, who also heads
the press office, completed details of the program for the Nov. 28-Dec. 1
trip.
The Pope will leave from Rome’s Fiumicino airport at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov.
28. He will arrive at the Esenboga airport at Ankara, the Turkish capital,
at 1 p.m., local time.
The Holy Father will first visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk, "Father of the
Turks," who proclaimed the Turkish republic in 1923.
Subsequently, the welcome ceremony will take place as well as a courtesy
visit to Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer.
The Pontiff will then meet with the deputy prime minister before meeting
with the president of religious affairs, Ali Bardokoglu, Grand Mufti and
highest Muslim authority, at his headquarters, and with the diplomatic corps
in the Apostolic Nunciature. The Holy Father will deliver addresses to each.
The following day, Benedict XVI will travel to Smyrna, the country’s
third-largest city, known as "The Pearl of the Aegean," from where he will
go to Ephesus, the city where the Apostle Paul lived and was captive, and
where, according to tradition, the Blessed Virgin Mary and John the
Evangelist also lived.
In Ephesus, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass at the Meryem Ana Evi (House of
Mary) Shrine and deliver a homily. It was in this city that a Council in the
year 431 proclaimed the Virgin Mary "Theotokos," of Mother of God.
On that Wednesday afternoon, the Holy Father will fly from Smyrna to
Istanbul — formerly Constantinople — where he will visit and pray at the
Patriarchal Church of St. George and have a private meeting with Orthodox
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. The Pope will greet
him at the patriarchate’s headquarters.
Divine Liturgy
On Thursday morning, Nov. 30, Benedict XVI will take part in the Divine
Liturgy in the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul. He will deliver
an address and sign a joint declaration.
The Pontiff will thus fulfill the original objective of his trip: to respond
to the invitation of Patriarch Bartholomew I to take part on the feast of
St. Andrew, patron of the patriarchate, observed on Nov. 30.
After the ceremony, the Holy Father will lunch with Bartholomew I in the
patriarchate. In the afternoon, he will visit the St. Sophia Museum.
Then Benedict XVI will go to the Armenian Apostolic cathedral, where he will
pray and meet and greet Patriarch Mesrob I.
That same afternoon, the Pope will meet with the Syro-Orthodox metropolitan
and the chief rabbi of Turkey.
Finally the Holy Father will meet and dine with the members of the country’s
Catholic bishops’ conference.
On Friday, Dec. 1, Benedict XVI will preside over the celebration of Mass in
Istanbul’s Cathedral of the Holy Ghost and deliver a homily.
It will be his last appointment, as he will then go to the city’s airport
and, after the farewell ceremony, depart at 1:15 p.m. for Rome’s Ciampino
airport.
Previous visits of Roman Pontiffs to Turkey took place in 1967 (Paul VI) and
1979 (John Paul II).
About 99% of Turkey’s 70 million inhabitants are Muslim, the majority Sunni.
Catholics represent 0.04% of the population.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
