Pope Benedict XVI - Apostolic Trip to Cologne
The official programme of Pope Benedict XVI's apostolic trip to Cologne,
Germany, from August 18 to 21 for the 20th World Youth Day is as follows:
The Pope will depart from Rome's Ciampino airport at 10 a.m. on Thursday,
August 18, and is due to arrive at the international airport of Cologne/Bonn
at midday. Following a welcome ceremony he will travel by car to the
archbishopric of Cologne. In the afternoon he will go to the Rodenkirchenbrucke
wharf, whence a boat will take him along the river Rhine to the Rheinwiesen
wharf where he will be welcomed by young people. The Holy Father will then
travel back by boat to the city of Cologne where he will visit the cathedral.
On Friday, August 19, the Pope will celebrate a private Mass in the archbishopric
of Cologne before travelling by car to Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn where, at
10.30 a.m., he is scheduled to pay a courtesy visit to Horst Kohler, president
of the Federal Republic of Germany. At midday he is due to visit the synagogue
in Cologne and at 1 p.m. will return to the archbishopric for lunch with a group
of young people. At 5 p.m. he is due to meet seminarians at the church of St.
Pantaleon in Cologne and will then return to the archbishopric to participate
in an ecumenical meeting.
On Saturday, August 20, having again celebrated a private Mass in the archbishopric,
the Holy Father will receive in audience various political and civil leaders:
Gerhard Schroeder, federal chancellor; Wolfgang Thierse, president of the
parliament; Angela Merkel, president of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union);
Jurgen Ruttgers, minister president of North Rhine Westphalia, and a number
of local authorities. At 6 p.m. he will meet representatives of Muslim communities.
Later he will travel by car to the large open grounds of Marienfeld where he will
join young people in a vigil due to last until 10.30 p.m.
At Marienfeld, at 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 21, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass
then pray the Angelus. After lunch in the archbishopric he will go on foot to
the "Piussaal" of the seminary of Cologne where he will meet the bishops of the
German Episcopal Conference. Later, and after having greeted members of the
organizing committee of WYD 2005, he will travel by car to the international
airport of Cologne/Bonn where the departure ceremony is due to be held at
6.45 p.m. The Pope will then board his aircraft and return to Rome, arriving
at around 21.15 p.m.
For the occasion of Benedict XVI's visit to Germany, some statistics concerning
the Catholic Church in that country are given below:
Germany has 82,520,000 inhabitants of whom 27,411,000 are Catholics, around
33.2% of the total. There are currently 105 bishops, 18,826 priests, 36,323
religious and 3,561 seminarians.
The Catholic Church in Germany runs 10,307 educational institutes including
nursery, primary and secondary schools and universities, with a total of more
than 959,000 students. She also directs 536 hospitals, 1,359 clinics, 2,588
homes for the elderly and disabled, 1,298 orphanages and creches, 2.030
centers for the family and the protection of life, and 1,331 special centers
for social education and re-education.
Ends
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