Information for Foreign Journalists ahead of the Visit of Pope Francis to
Israel 25-26 May 2014

Welcome! We at the Government Press Office (GPO) wish to extend our warm
greetings and will do all that we can to facilitate your visit and make it
enjoyable and efficient. Please note the following information:

...
4. Schedule

Please note:

A. The State of Israel and the GPO are not responsible for Pope Francis'
visit to the Kingdom of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

B. The arrival ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport on May 25 is
the only event in Israel that will be open for coverage (details will be
issued separately). All other events will be pool coverage only.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

13:00 – Arrival at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman

13:45 – Arrival Ceremony in the al-Husseini Royal Palace in Amman
Courtesy visit to their Majesties the King and Queen of Jordan

14:20 – Meeting with the authorities of the Kingdom of Jordan. Discourse of
the Holy Father

16:00 – Holy Mass at the International Stadium in Amman. Homily of the Holy
Father

19:00 – Visit to the baptismal site at Bethany beyond the Jordan


Sunday, May 25, 2014


08:30 – Departure by helicopter from Queen Alia Internal Airport in Amman
for Bethlehem

09:30 – Arrival ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Bethlehem
Courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Palestinian Authority

10:00 – Meeting with the Palestinian Authority. Discourse of the Holy Father

11:00 – Holy Mass in Manger Square in Bethlehem. Homily of the Holy Father
Regina Coeli prayer. Allocution of the Holy Father

15:00 – Private visit to the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem

15:45 – Farewell from the Palestinian Authority at the helipad of Bethlehem

16:00 – Departure by helicopter from the helipad of Bethlehem for Ben Gurion
International Airport in Israel

16:30 – Arrival ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport. Open coverage;
details to be issued separately. Discourse of the Holy Father

17:45 – Arrival at the helipad of Jerusalem on Mount Scopus

18:15 – Private meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
Bartholomew I at the Apostolic Delegation in Jerusalem. Signing of a joint
declaration.

19:00 – Ecumenical meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the
meeting in Jerusalem between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I in the
Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. Discourse of the Holy Father

20:00 – Dinner with Patriarchs and Bishops and the Papal suite at the Latin
Patriarchate in Jerusalem

20:00 – Reception for foreign journalists at the media center (see above).

Monday, May 26, 2014

08:15 – Visit to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Muhammad Ahmad Hussein in the
building of the Great Council on the Esplanade of the Mosques. Discourse of
the Holy Father

09:10 – Visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem

09:45 – Lay a wreath at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem

10:00 – Visit to Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Discourse of the Holy Father

10:45 – Courtesy visit to the two chief rabbis (Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yosef
Yitzhak and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau) at Heichal Shlomo in
Jerusalem, next to the Jerusalem Great Synagogue. Discourse of the Holy
Father

11:45 – Courtesy visit to the President of the State of Israel, Shimon
Peres, at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem. Discourse of the Holy
Father

13:00 – Private audience with the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin
Netanyahu, at Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem

13:30 – Lunch with the Papal suite at Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem

15:30 – Private visit to Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew
I at the building next to the Orthodox church of Viri Galileai on the Mount
of Olives

16:00 – Meeting with priests, men and women religious and seminarians in the
Church of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives. Discourse of the
Holy Father

17:20 – Holy Mass with the Ordinaries of the Holy Land and the Papal Suite
in the Room of the Cenacle in Jerusalem. Homily of the Holy Father

19:30 – Transfer by helicopter from the helipad on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem
to Ben Gurion International Airport

20:00 – Farewell from the State of Israel at Ben Gurion International
Airport

20:15 – Departure from Ben Gurion International Airport for Ciampino Airport
in Rome