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Pope to visit Assisi and Matera in September

Pope Francis will visit the Italian town of Assisi for an Economy of Francesco event, and city of Matera for the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress, in late September.

Pope Francis will visit the Italian hill town of Assisi and the southern city of Matera in late September.

The Holy See Press Office published on Friday the programs for each Italian visit, which fall on 24 and 25 September, respectively, and both of which begin in the morning and conclude before lunchtime.

This will mark Pope Francis' sixth visit to Assisi.

This time he goes for the 'Economy of Francesco' event, an international conference aimed at young economists, entrepreneurs and change-makers engaged in thinking and practising a different type of economy.

The invitation to participate has come directly from Pope Francis, who before the Covid-19 pandemic had invited young economists and entrepreneurs  from all over the world, to initiate, as the event's website explains, "a process of global change so that today's and tomorrow's economy is fairer, inclusive and sustainable, without leaving anyone behind."

The Holy Father since the start of his pontificate frequently visited the land of St. Francis, for whom the Pontiff took his namesake.

In Assisi, the Pope will meet with young people and address them.

Matera trip The Holy Father's trip to the city of Matera in the southern Italian region of Basilicata comes the next day to mark the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress.

That day, he will meet migrants and refugees, give his homily during Mass and give his Angelus address.

The Congress will take place from 22 to 25 September in Matera on the theme "Let's go back to the taste of bread. For a Eucharistic and Synodal Church.”

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops Conference, also known as the CEI, who serves as Archbishop of Bologna, and Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino and President of the Committee of the Economy of Francesco, both expressed their gratitude to the Holy Father for his presence and closeness in those days.

Here are unofficial English translations of the programs of both visits: 

Programme of Pope's Assisi trip Visit of the Holy Father Francis to Assisi on the occasion of the "Economy of Francesco" event - Saturday, 24 September 2022

09:00 am - Take off from the Vatican helipor

09:30 - Landing in the square in front of the Pala-Eventi of Santa Maria degli Angeli     By car, the Holy Father reaches the Pala-Eventi, where he is welcomed by:         - three young people, representing the young people participating in the event;         - Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development;         - Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino, and of Foligno;          - Dr. Donatella Tesei, President of the Umbria Region;         - Dr. Armando Gradone, Prefect of Perugia;         - Dr. Stefania Proietti, Mayor of Assisi and President of the Province of Perugia;         - Members of the Promoting Committee of the Event:         - Prof. Luigino Bruni;         - Dr. Francesca di Maolo;         - Sister Alessandra Smerilli.         - Representatives of the Franciscan Families of Assisi and of the  Pro Civitate Christiana

10:00 - The Holy Father reaches the stage.    The meeting with young people takes place as follows:        - artistic-theatrical moment;        - welcome and introduction;        - eight Young people share experiences. * Address of the Holy Father        - reading and signing of the "Agreement";        - the Holy Father greet the young people present on the stage.

11:30 am - At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father by car reaches the square in front of the Theater

11:45 am - Take off from Santa Maria degli Angeli

12:15 -  Landing at the Vatican heliport

Programme of Pope's Matera visit Pastoral visit of the Holy Father Francis to Matera for the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress - Sunday, 25 September 2022

07:00 am - Take off from the Vatican heliport

08:30 am - Landing at the Municipal Stadium  XXI Settembre  in Matera    The Holy Father is welcomed by:      - Card. Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference;      - Archbishop Antonio Giuseppe Caiazzo, of Matera-Irsina;      - Hon. Vito Bardi, President of the Basilicata Region;      - Dr. Sante Capponi, Prefect of Matera;      - Dr. Domenico Bennardi, Mayor of Matera;      - Dr. Piero Marrese, President of the Province of Matera.   Immediate transfer by car to the Cathedral

09:00 am - In the Cathedral: Meeting with refugees and refugees      - Presentation by HE Mons. Antonio Giuseppe Caiazzo, Archbishop of Matera-Irsina

* Words of greeting from the Holy Father

09:30 am - The Holy Father leaves the Cathedral

10:00 am - In Piazza Matteotti: Eucharistic concelebration for the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Congress

* Homily of the Holy Father

- Words of thanks from Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference

11:45 am - The Holy Father reaches by car the  canteen of the Fraternity  named after "Don Giovanni Mele" in Via Giacomo Racioppi: blessing and inauguration of the new structure

12:30 am - Municipal Stadium  21st September  : the Holy Father says goodbye to the Authorities who welcomed him on arrival Take off from the Municipal Stadium of Matera

2:00 pm - Landing at the Vatican heliport

- Vatican News

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Pope Francis to visit Italian cities of Assisi, Matera in September

People enjoy the evening in Matera, Italy, June 29, 2021. Pope Francis will visit the southern Italian city Sept. 25 to celebrate the closing Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress. (CNS/Reuters/Yara Nardi)

Junno Arocho Esteves

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Pope Francis will make back-to-back pastoral visits to the Italian cities of Assisi and Matera at the end of September, the Vatican announced.

The pope will visit Assisi Sept. 24 to attend a meeting with young people participating in an Economy of Francesco event at a conference hall near Assisi's Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, the Vatican said July 8.

The Economy of Francesco project, an initiative sponsored in part by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, connects young economists, entrepreneurs, scholars and scientists with older experts to look for ways to make the economy better for more people and for the environment.

In a statement published shortly after the Vatican's announcement, the event's organizing committee — led by Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi — expressed its gratitude to the pope and said his visit "fills us with joy."

"We pray for Pope Francis' health and continue to move forward with even more enthusiasm and strength in organizing the first in-person global meeting in Assisi," the statement said.

"We are working to welcome the young people from more than 100 countries around the world, who have been actively working for months and those who have the desire to contribute to a new season of economic thought and practice," the committee said.

The pope will address the event's participants in the morning and will return to the Vatican by helicopter shortly after midday.

The following day, Sept. 25, the pope will fly again by helicopter to the southern city of Matera for the final Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress.

Before celebrating the Mass, the pope will meet with a group of migrants and refugees in the city. He will then celebrate the closing Mass of the congress and, after, will bless and open a new soup kitchen.

Francis will then meet with local authorities before returning to the Vatican by helicopter.

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PASTORAL VISIT TO MATERA FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE 27th NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

POPE FRANCIS

XXI Settembre Municipal Stadium (Matera) Sunday, 25 September 2022

[ Multimedia ]

____________________________

At the end of this celebration , I would like to thank all of you who have taken part, representing the holy People of God in Italy. And I am grateful to Cardinal Zuppi, who acted as its spokesperson. I congratulate the diocesan community of Matera-Irsina for the organizational and welcoming effort, and I thank everyone who collaborated in this Eucharistic Congress.

Now, before concluding, let us turn to the Virgin Mary, Eucharistic Woman. We entrust to her the journey of the Church in Italy, so that in every community the fragrance of Christ the living Bread descended from Heaven may be felt. Today I would dare to ask for Italy: more births, more children. And we invoke her maternal intercession for the world’s most urgent needs.

I think, in particular, of Myanmar. For more than two years that noble country has been martyred by serious armed clashes and violence, which have caused many victims and displaced persons. This week I heard the cry of grief at the death of children in a bombed school. We see that in today’s world there is a trend of bombing schools. May the cry of these little ones not go unheard! These tragedies must not happen!

Mary, Queen of Peace, comfort the martyred Ukrainian people and obtain from the heads of Nations the will power to immediately find effective initiatives to bring the war to an end.

I join in the appeal of the bishops of Cameroon for the liberation of some people kidnapped in the Diocese of Mamfe, including five priests and a religious sister. I pray for them and for the populations of the ecclesiastical province of Bamenda: may the Lord give peace to hearts and to the social life of that dear country.

Today, this Sunday, the Church celebrates World Day of Migrants and Refugees, on the theme: “Building the future with migrants and refugees”. Let us renew our commitment to building the future in accordance with God’s plan: a future in which every person may find his or her place and be respected; in which migrants, refugees, displaced persons and the victims of human trafficking may live in peace and with dignity. Because the Kingdom of God is fulfilled with them, without exclusion. It is also thanks to those brothers and sisters that communities can grow on a social, economic, cultural and spiritual level; and the sharing of diverse traditions enriches the People of God. Let us all work together to build a more inclusive and fraternal future! Migrants must be welcomed, accompanied, supported and integrated.

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

Pope Francis To Visit Assisi, Matera in September

By Junno Arocho Esteves

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will make back-to-back pastoral visits to the Italian cities of Assisi and Matera at the end of September, the Vatican announced.

The pope will visit Assisi Sept. 24 to attend a meeting with young people participating in an Economy of Francesco event at a conference hall near Assisi’s Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, the Vatican said July 8.

The Economy of Francesco project, an initiative sponsored in part by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, connects young economists, entrepreneurs, scholars and scientists with older experts to look for ways to make the economy better for more people and for the environment.

In a statement published shortly after the Vatican’s announcement, the event’s organizing committee — led by Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi — expressed its gratitude to the pope and said his visit “fills us with joy.”

“We pray for Pope Francis’ health and continue to move forward with even more enthusiasm and strength in organizing the first in-person global meeting in Assisi,” the statement said.

“We are working to welcome the young people from more than 100 countries around the world, who have been actively working for months and those who have the desire to contribute to a new season of economic thought and practice,” the committee said.

The pope will address the event’s participants in the morning and will return to the Vatican by helicopter shortly after midday.

The following day, Sept. 25, the pope will fly again by helicopter to the southern city of Matera for the final Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress.

Before celebrating the Mass, the pope will meet with a group of migrants and refugees in the city. He will then celebrate the closing Mass of the congress and, after, will bless and open a new soup kitchen.

Pope Francis will then meet with local authorities before returning to the Vatican by helicopter.

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Pope to visit Assisi, Matera in September

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will make back-to-back pastoral visits to the Italian cities of Assisi and Matera at the end of September, the Vatican announced.

The pope will visit Assisi Sept. 24 to attend a meeting with young people participating in an Economy of Francesco event at a conference hall near Assisi's Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, the Vatican said July 8.

The Economy of Francesco project, an initiative sponsored in part by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, connects young economists, entrepreneurs, scholars and scientists with older experts to look for ways to make the economy better for more people and for the environment.

In a statement published shortly after the Vatican's announcement, the event's organizing committee -- led by Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi -- expressed its gratitude to the pope and said his visit "fills us with joy."

"We pray for Pope Francis' health and continue to move forward with even more enthusiasm and strength in organizing the first in-person global meeting in Assisi," the statement said.

"We are working to welcome the young people from more than 100 countries around the world, who have been actively working for months and those who have the desire to contribute to a new season of economic thought and practice," the committee said.

The pope will address the event's participants in the morning and will return to the Vatican by helicopter shortly after midday.

The following day, Sept. 25, the pope will fly again by helicopter to the southern city of Matera for the final Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress.

Before celebrating the Mass, the pope will meet with a group of migrants and refugees in the city. He will then celebrate the closing Mass of the congress and, after, will bless and open a new soup kitchen.

Pope Francis will then meet with local authorities before returning to the Vatican by helicopter.

– – –

Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju

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July 8, 2022

Pope to visit Assisi, Matera in September

World by junno arocho esteves, catholic news service.

Pope Francis carries a pilgrim’s staff as he arrives for a meeting with the poor at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi, Italy, in this Nov. 12, 2021, file photo. The pope will visit Assisi Sept. 24 for an event sponsored by the Economy of Francesco project. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will make back-to-back pastoral visits to the Italian cities of Assisi and Matera at the end of September, the Vatican announced.

The pope will visit Assisi Sept. 24 to attend a meeting with young people participating in an Economy of Francesco event at a conference hall near Assisi’s Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, the Vatican said July 8.

The Economy of Francesco project, an initiative sponsored in part by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, connects young economists, entrepreneurs, scholars and scientists with older experts to look for ways to make the economy better for more people and for the environment.

In a statement published shortly after the Vatican’s announcement, the event’s organizing committee — led by Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi — expressed its gratitude to the pope and said his visit “fills us with joy.”

“We pray for Pope Francis’ health and continue to move forward with even more enthusiasm and strength in organizing the first in-person global meeting in Assisi,” the statement said.

“We are working to welcome the young people from more than 100 countries around the world, who have been actively working for months and those who have the desire to contribute to a new season of economic thought and practice,” the committee said.

The pope will address the event’s participants in the morning and will return to the Vatican by helicopter shortly after midday.

The following day, Sept. 25, the pope will fly again by helicopter to the southern city of Matera for the final Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress.

Before celebrating the Mass, the pope will meet with a group of migrants and refugees in the city. He will then celebrate the closing Mass of the congress and, after, will bless and open a new soup kitchen.

Pope Francis will then meet with local authorities before returning to the Vatican by helicopter.

Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju

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Pope's upcoming schedule includes Apostolic Journey, Vatican II anniversary Mass

By Vatican News

Pope Francis will preside over Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on 11 October, Pope St. John XXIII’s feast day, marking the 60 th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. That Mass will begin at 5 pm local time.

As stated in a Holy See Press Office communiqué, the Pope’s October schedule is a busy one that includes his 38th Apostolic Journey abroad which takes him to Kazakhstan from 13 to 15 September.

Pope Francis will travel to the Kazakh capital, Nur-Sultan, to address the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which brings together various religious leaders from around the world. He will also meet with the Catholic faithful and clergy to encourage them and affirm them in their faith.

On 24 September, the Pope will be in the central Italian town of Assisi for an event dedicated to “The Economy of Francesco” and the following day, Sunday, 25 September, he will undertake a pastoral visit to the southern town of Matera for the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress on the theme: "Let’s go back to the taste of bread", which begins 22 September.

On 9 October, Pope Francis will preside over the Canonization Mass of Blesseds Giovanni Battista Scalabrini and Artemide Zatti. The Mass will take place in St. Peter’s Square in the morning.

Finally, on 2 November, marking the Commemoration of all the faithful departed, the Pope will say Mass at the Altar of the Cathedra in St. Peter's inn suffrage of the cardinals and bishops who died during the year.

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Pope Francis reflects on Roman Empire in visit to ancient Capitoline Hill

By Courtney Mares

Rome Newsroom, Jun 10, 2024 / 13:00 pm

Pope Francis gazed over the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum during a visit to Rome’s historic Capitoline Hill on Monday in which he reflected on how the “Rome of the Caesars’” transformed into the “Rome of the Popes.”

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri, the pope took in the view from a balcony overlooking the third-century Arch of Septimius Severus of the archaeological site of what was once the heart of ancient Rome.

Pope Francis praised ancient Rome as “a radiating center of civilization,” which with its legal developments and organizational capacities built solid and lasting institutions and an ancient culture with “many good values, which on the other hand needed to elevate itself, to confront a greater message of fraternity, love, hope, and liberation.”

“The Good News, or rather the Christian faith, over time would permeate and transform the life of people and of the institutions themselves,” he said. “It would offer people a far more radical and unprecedented hope.”

“The shining witness of the martyrs and the dynamism of charity of the first communities of believers tapped into the need to hear new words, the words of eternal life,” he added. “Olympus was no longer enough; one had to go to Golgotha and to the empty tomb of the Risen One to find the answers to the yearning for truth, justice, and love.”

In his reflection on the Roman Empire, Pope Francis also noted how the prevalence of slavery in ancient Rome is an example of how “even refined civilizations can present cultural elements so rooted in the mentality of people and of the entire society that they are no longer perceived as contrary to the dignity of the human being.”

He compared the Romans’ acceptance of slavery to how some societies today “risk being selective and partial in the defense of human dignity, marginalizing or discarding certain categories of people, who end up finding themselves without adequate protection.”

Pope Francis recalled how the city of Rome “since its birth some 2,800 years ago has had a clear and continuing vocation of universality.”

“Many things have changed, but Rome’s vocation to universality was confirmed and exalted,” he added. “In fact, if the geographical horizon of the Roman Empire had its heart in the Mediterranean world and, although very vast, did not involve the whole world, the mission of the Church has no boundaries on this earth, because it must make Christ, his action, and his words of salvation known to all peoples.”

After the speech, the pope offered a greeting from the Senatorial Palace balcony overlooking the Piazza del Campidoglio, the public square designed by Michalangelo atop Rome’s ancient Capitoline Hill, and offered a prayer for the city of Rome as it prepares for the 2025 Jubilee.

The Vatican and the city of Rome are expecting an estimated 35 million people to flock to the Eternal City for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope — the first ordinary jubilee since the Great Jubilee of 2000.

Pope Francis noted that while the influx of pilgrims, tourists, and migrants to the city of Rome may appear to be “a burden” for local citizens, the reality is that Rome is “unique in the world” and with that has “a responsibility … to the human family.”

“The immense treasure of culture and history nestled in the hills of Rome is the honor and the burden of its citizenry and its rulers, and expects to be properly valued and respected,” he added.

More than 350 construction and renovation projects are taking place in the city of Rome in preparation for the Jubilee Year, including the 79.5-million-euro (about $86.4 million) Piazza Pia transformation and the 4-million-euro (about $4.3 million) Piazza Risorgimento redevelopment.

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The pope told the city officials that while the Jubilee is a religious event as “a prayerful and penitential pilgrimage,” it will also “be able to have a positive impact on the face of the city itself, improving its decorum and making public services more efficient.”

“Rome is a city with a universal spirit. This spirit wants to be at the service of charity, at the service of welcome and hospitality,” Pope Francis said.

“Pilgrims, tourists, migrants, those in serious difficulty, the poorest, the lonely, the sick, prisoners, the excluded are the most truthful witnesses of this spirit,” he added. “And these can testify that authority is fully such when it places itself at the service of all, when it uses its legitimate power to meet the needs of citizens and, in particular, of the weakest, the least.”

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Pope Francis Reflects on Roman Empire in Visit to Ancient Capitoline Hill

Pope Francis recalled how the city of Rome 'since its birth some 2,800 years ago has had a clear and continuing vocation of universality.'

Pope Francis gazed over the ancient ruins of the Roman Forum during a visit to Rome’s historic Capitoline Hill on Monday in which he reflected on how the “Rome of the Caesars’” transformed into the “Rome of the Popes.”

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri, the Pope took in the view from a balcony overlooking the third-century Arch of Septimius Severus of the archaeological site of what was once the heart of ancient Rome.

Pope Francis and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri wave to the crowd gathered below at Rome’s Capitoline Hill on June 10, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Francis praised ancient Rome as “a radiating center of civilization,” which with its legal developments and organizational capacities built solid and lasting institutions and an ancient culture with “many good values, which on the other hand needed to elevate itself, to confront a greater message of fraternity, love, hope, and liberation.”

“The Good News, or rather the Christian faith, over time would permeate and transform the life of people and of the institutions themselves,” he said. “It would offer people a far more radical and unprecedented hope.”

“The shining witness of the martyrs and the dynamism of charity of the first communities of believers tapped into the need to hear new words, the words of eternal life,” he added. “Olympus was no longer enough; one had to go to Golgotha and to the empty tomb of the Risen One to find the answers to the yearning for truth, justice, and love.”

In his reflection on the Roman Empire, Pope Francis also noted how the prevalence of slavery in ancient Rome is an example of how “even refined civilizations can present cultural elements so rooted in the mentality of people and of the entire society that they are no longer perceived as contrary to the dignity of the human being.”

He compared the Romans’ acceptance of slavery to how some societies today “risk being selective and partial in the defense of human dignity, marginalizing or discarding certain categories of people, who end up finding themselves without adequate protection.”

Pope Francis recalled how the city of Rome “since its birth some 2,800 years ago has had a clear and continuing vocation of universality.”

Pope Francis addresses Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and city administration during a visit to Rome’s Capitoline Hill on June 10, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media

“Many things have changed, but Rome’s vocation to universality was confirmed and exalted,” he added. “In fact, if the geographical horizon of the Roman Empire had its heart in the Mediterranean world and, although very vast, did not involve the whole world, the mission of the Church has no boundaries on this earth, because it must make Christ, his action, and his words of salvation known to all peoples.”

After the speech, the Pope offered a greeting from the Senatorial Palace balcony overlooking the Piazza del Campidoglio, the public square designed by Michalangelo atop Rome’s ancient Capitoline Hill, and offered a prayer for the city of Rome as it prepares for the 2025 Jubilee.

The Vatican and the city of Rome are expecting an estimated 35 million people to flock to the Eternal City for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope — the first ordinary jubilee since the Great Jubilee of 2000.

Pope Francis noted that while the influx of pilgrims, tourists, and migrants to the city of Rome may appear to be “a burden” for local citizens, the reality is that Rome is “unique in the world” and with that has “a responsibility … to the human family.”

“The immense treasure of culture and history nestled in the hills of Rome is the honor and the burden of its citizenry and its rulers, and expects to be properly valued and respected,” he added.

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Pope Francis wave to the crowd gathered below at Rome’s Capitoline Hill on June 10, 2024. Credit: Vatican Media

More than 350 construction and renovation projects are taking place in the city of Rome in preparation for the Jubilee Year, including the 79.5-million-euro (about $86.4 million) Piazza Pia transformation and the 4-million-euro (about $4.3 million) Piazza Risorgimento redevelopment.

The Pope told the city officials that while the Jubilee is a religious event as “a prayerful and penitential pilgrimage,” it will also “be able to have a positive impact on the face of the city itself, improving its decorum and making public services more efficient.”

“Rome is a city with a universal spirit. This spirit wants to be at the service of charity, at the service of welcome and hospitality,” Pope Francis said.

“Pilgrims, tourists, migrants, those in serious difficulty, the poorest, the lonely, the sick, prisoners, the excluded are the most truthful witnesses of this spirit,” he added. “And these can testify that authority is fully such when it places itself at the service of all, when it uses its legitimate power to meet the needs of citizens and, in particular, of the weakest, the least.”

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Pope Francis visit: Elderly, wheelchair users attending papal mass can apply for special tickets

SINGAPORE - Elderly folk and wheelchair users planning to attend Pope Francis’ first mass in Singapore on Sept 12 will be able to make special ticketing arrangements by registering with their parish.

The Archdiocese of Singapore, in a notice on the website dedicated to the event, said each parish has been allocated a limited number of seats for both the elderly and wheelchair-bound users with a valid Person-with-Disability (PWD) card.

Those who do not have a PWD card can still register for the tickets by providing relevant documentation, such as a certificate from a medical practitioner confirming their disabilities.

One caregiver is also allowed to accompany each ticket holder, and the caregivers must be able to provide necessary care, such as manoeuvring the wheelchair when necessary, and should be with their charges at all times.

Parishes will make the final decision on who receives the allocated seats, the archdiocese said.

The archdiocese added that the age limit for the elderly – defined by the parishes – is usually 85 and above.

Elderly participants should be able-bodied and mobile enough to move without constant assistance, it said.

All issued tickets are named and are not transferable.

Should there be a change in the registered caregiver due to illness or emergency, ticket holders can notify their parish-in-charge of the change and provide the replacement caregiver’s particulars.

The archdiocese said the papal mass programme can last about six hours.

“Please consider this when registering, especially regarding any medical needs for such a duration,” it said, adding that all attendees are requested to remain seated during the duration of the mass.

“Anyone who leaves the papal mass venue after the Pope’s arrival will be considered to have left the venue and will not be allowed back into the mass area.”

Successful applicants will not need to participate in the open public balloting system for tickets.

Chartered buses will be available for all participating elderly folk and their caregivers, which will take them from the parishes to the mass venue and back.

However, wheelchair-bound users and their caregivers will need to arrange their own transport to the venue.

They will be directly informed on accessible entrances, drop-offs and parking.

Mobile toilets – including wheelchair-accessible ones – will also be available at the venue for both the elderly and wheelchair-bound.

However, personal mobility devices are not permitted.

Pope Francis will make his maiden visit to Singapore from Sept 11 to Sept 13.

More than 40,000 tickets will be available to the public through an online ballot that is open to anyone in Singapore with a valid account on the myCatholicSG portal.

Registration will be open between June 24 and July 31.

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Papal switcheroo as Francis changes plans at last minute to visit different Rome community

People gather behind barricades in front of an apartment block at Casal Bertone, in far-east Rome, where Pope Francis was expected to pay a visit, Thursday, June 6, 2024. Francis apparently pulled a last-minute switcheroo, after word had spread too much that he was planning to visit the apartment in Casal Bertone, and instead had a surprise meeting with 30 or so families in another building courtyard in the far west neighborhood of Palmarola, at the opposite side of Rome. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Flowers and people are seen in front of an apartment block at Casal Bertone, in far-east Rome, where Pope Francis was expected to pay a visit, Thursday, June 6, 2024. Francis apparently pulled a last-minute switcheroo, after word had spread too much that he was planning to visit the apartment in Casal Bertone, and instead had a surprise meeting with 30 or so families in another building courtyard in the far west neighborhood of Palmarola, at the opposite side of Rome. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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ROME (AP) — Pope Francis slipped out of the Vatican on Thursday to meet with members of a local Roman parish as part of his new initiative of surprise papal prayer sessions ahead of next year’s Jubilee .

The 30 or so families who met with Francis in a building courtyard in the far west neighborhood of Palmarola were certainly surprised — especially since Francis had been expected across town at another parish community at the same time.

Francis apparently pulled the last-minute switcheroo after word had spread too much that he was planning to visit an apartment complex in Casal Bertone, a middle-class neighborhood in far-east Rome. Indeed, the city of Rome had set up police barricades to contain well-wishers, potted plants decorated the site and media crews were on hand — only to have the pope end up a no-show.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, didn’t address the change in plans in a statement issued late Thursday alongside a photo of the pope with the parish families he actually did meet. He said only that Francis had gone to the Palmarola neighborhood to meet with 30 families who belong to the parish of Santa Brigida di Svezia for the third round of his “school of prayer” encounters.

Unlike typical parish visits that involve church communities preparing for months to receive a pope, or highly orchestrated foreign trips that require bilateral diplomatic protocols, these prayer meetings are designed to be informal and spontaneous.

After battling poor health for much of the winter , the 87-year-old Francis has resumed a fairly robust schedule of encounters outside the Vatican. Recently he has met with groups of priests and laity in various parts of Rome and made recent day trips to Venice and Verona, with plans for upcoming visits to Trieste and the Group of Seven meeting near Bari.

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Pope to visit assisi, matera in september.

The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, left, is pictured in Assisi, Italy, Oct. 2, 2020. Pope Francis will visit Assisi Sept. 24 for an event sponsored by the Economy of Francesco project. (Credit: Paul Haring/CNS.)

ROME — Pope Francis will make back-to-back pastoral visits to the Italian cities of Assisi and Matera at the end of September, the Vatican announced.

The pope will visit Assisi Sept. 24 to attend a meeting with young people participating in an Economy of Francesco event at a conference hall near Assisi’s Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, the Vatican said July 8.

The Economy of Francesco project, an initiative sponsored in part by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, connects young economists, entrepreneurs, scholars and scientists with older experts to look for ways to make the economy better for more people and for the environment.

In a statement published shortly after the Vatican’s announcement, the event’s organizing committee — led by Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino of Assisi — expressed its gratitude to the pope and said his visit “fills us with joy.”

“We pray for Pope Francis’ health and continue to move forward with even more enthusiasm and strength in organizing the first in-person global meeting in Assisi,” the statement said.

“We are working to welcome the young people from more than 100 countries around the world, who have been actively working for months and those who have the desire to contribute to a new season of economic thought and practice,” the committee said.

The pope will address the event’s participants in the morning and will return to the Vatican by helicopter shortly after midday.

The following day, Sept. 25, the pope will fly again by helicopter to the southern city of Matera for the final Mass of the Italian National Eucharistic Congress.

Before celebrating the Mass, the pope will meet with a group of migrants and refugees in the city. He will then celebrate the closing Mass of the congress and, after, will bless and open a new soup kitchen.

Pope Francis will then meet with local authorities before returning to the Vatican by helicopter.

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Pope Francis will visit the Italian town of Assisi for an Economy of Francesco event, and city of Matera for the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress, in late September.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis will visit the Italian hill town of Assisi and the southern city of Matera in late September.

The Holy See Press Office published on Friday the programs for each Italian visit, which fall on 24 and 25 September, respectively, and both of which begin in the morning and conclude before lunchtime.

This will mark Pope Francis’ sixth visit to Assisi.

This time he goes for the ‘Economy of Francesco’ event, an international conference aimed at young economists, entrepreneurs and change-makers engaged in thinking and practising a different type of economy.

The invitation to participate has come directly from Pope Francis, who before the Covid-19 pandemic had invited young economists and entrepreneurs  from all over the world, to initiate, as the event’s website explains, “a process of global change so that today’s and tomorrow’s economy is fairer, inclusive and sustainable, without leaving anyone behind.”

The Holy Father since the start of his pontificate frequently visited the land of St. Francis, for whom the Pontiff took his namesake.

In Assisi, the Pope will meet with young people and address them.

Matera trip

The Holy Father’s trip to the city of Matera in the southern Italian region of Basilicata comes the next day to mark the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress.

That day, he will meet migrants and refugees, give his homily during Mass and give his Angelus address.

The Congress will take place from 22 to 25 September in Matera on the theme “Let’s go back to the taste of bread. For a Eucharistic and Synodal Church.”

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops Conference, also known as the CEI, who serves as Archbishop of Bologna, and Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, Bishop of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino and President of the Committee of the Economy of Francesco, both expressed their gratitude to the Holy Father for his presence and closeness in those days.

Here are unofficial English translations of the programs of both visits:

Programme of Pope’s Assisi trip

Visit of the Holy Father Francis to Assisi on the occasion of the “Economy of Francesco” event – Saturday, 24 September 2022

09:00 am – Take off from the Vatican heliport

09:30 – Landing in the square in front of the Pala-Eventi of Santa Maria degli Angeli

    By car, the Holy Father reaches the Pala-Eventi, where he is welcomed by:

        – three young people, representing the young people participating in the event;

        – Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development;

        – Archbishop Domenico Sorrentino, of Assisi-Nocera Umbra-Gualdo Tadino, and of Foligno; 

        – Dr. Donatella Tesei, President of the Umbria Region;

        – Dr. Armando Gradone, Prefect of Perugia;

        – Dr. Stefania Proietti, Mayor of Assisi and President of the Province of Perugia;

        – Members of the Promoting Committee of the Event:

        – Prof. Luigino Bruni;

        – Dr. Francesca di Maolo;

        – Sister Alessandra Smerilli.

        – Representatives of the Franciscan Families of Assisi and of the  Pro Civitate Christiana

10:00 – The Holy Father reaches the stage.

   The meeting with young people takes place as follows:

       – artistic-theatrical moment;

       – welcome and introduction;

       – eight Young people share experiences.

* Address of the Holy Father

       – reading and signing of the “Agreement”;

       – the Holy Father greet the young people present on the stage.

11:30 am – At the end of the meeting, the Holy Father by car reaches the square in front of the Theater

11:45 am – Take off from Santa Maria degli Angeli

12:15 –  Landing at the Vatican heliport

Programme of Pope’s Matera visit

Pastoral visit of the Holy Father Francis to Matera for the conclusion of the 27th National Eucharistic Congress – Sunday, 25 September 2022

07:00 am – Take off from the Vatican heliport

08:30 am – Landing at the Municipal Stadium  XXI Settembre  in Matera

   The Holy Father is welcomed by:

     – Card. Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference;

     – Archbishop Antonio Giuseppe Caiazzo, of Matera-Irsina;

     – Hon. Vito Bardi, President of the Basilicata Region;

     – Dr. Sante Capponi, Prefect of Matera;

     – Dr. Domenico Bennardi, Mayor of Matera;

     – Dr. Piero Marrese, President of the Province of Matera.

  Immediate transfer by car to the Cathedral

09:00 am – In the Cathedral: Meeting with refugees and refugees

     – Presentation by HE Mons. Antonio Giuseppe Caiazzo, Archbishop of Matera-Irsina

* Words of greeting from the Holy Father

09:30 am – The Holy Father leaves the Cathedral

10:00 am – In Piazza Matteotti: Eucharistic concelebration for the conclusion of the National Eucharistic Congress

* Homily of the Holy Father

– Words of thanks from Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, Archbishop of Bologna, President of the Italian Episcopal Conference

11:45 am – The Holy Father reaches by car the  canteen of the Fraternity  named after “Don Giovanni Mele” in Via Giacomo Racioppi: blessing and inauguration of the new structure

12:30 am – Municipal Stadium  21st September  : the Holy Father says goodbye to the Authorities who welcomed him on arrival

Take off from the Municipal Stadium of Matera

2:00 pm – Landing at the Vatican heliport

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Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri justified his position against the divorce legislation with a personal visit to Pope Francis in Vatican City recently, during which the lawmaker said he received instruction to “protect the family.”

“Pope Francis asked me to please protect the family, and this is an instruction that I will take to heart,” Zubiri said in a statement released in Tagalog last Friday, June 7.

The senator traveled to the Holy See together with his wife Audrey and their three children last Wednesday, June 5.

A devout Catholic, Zubiri met with the Pope during the latter’s weekly catechesis and prayers for world peace. The Philippines remains the last country in the world not legalizing divorce.

A proposed legislation on ‘Absolute Divorce’ has already been in the House of Representatives. Its version in the Senate, however, has not yet been transmitted for deliberations.

Zubiri did not consider the divorce bill as a priority measure during his leadership in the upper chamber. His successor, Senate President Francis Escudero, also held a similar view.

“We prayed for our beloved country and for our leaders to always find discernment and to do what is right, even when it is not popular,” said Zubiri.

While he is open to discussions on divorce, the former Senate President noted that he maintains a strong belief in the sanctity and insolubility of marriage.

The Zubiri family was among the handful of guests, who had a chance to meet and receive a personal blessing from the Pope this week.

During the meeting, Zubiri explained to the Pope that he is a pro-life and pro-family legislator from the Philippines, to which the Pope responded by asking him to “please protect the family.”

The senator assured he will always remember the Pope’s reminder, “and I am going to do my best to protect the family values that hold our nation together.”

Zubiri noted that the incumbent leader of the Catholic Church is special for Filipinos, addressing him as ‘Lolo Kiko’ in his statement.

“Lolo Kiko is so special to us Filipinos, and I got the feeling that he holds us in a special place in his heart and his prayers as well, as one of the most devoutly Catholic nations in the world,” Zubiri said.

“Meeting our Santo Papa, Lolo Kiko, as a Catholic and a Christian, was the greatest honor of my life, especially since I got to bring my kids along,” the senator added.

Zubiri traveled to Europe to “take a short sabbatical away from politics,” and to spend some “long-promised quality time” with his family.

According to Zubiri, that was the first time in two years that he gave his family his undivided attention.

“Our Catholic faith is so important to our family, so it was very humbling to have the Pope give us so much of his time and attention. He seemed especially fond of our youngest boy, and even asked him to learn Spanish,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri and his family were accompanied by the Philippine Ambassador to the Holy See, Myla Grace Ragenia Macahilig, during their visit to Pope Francis. 

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Pope Francis’ visit to Africa comes at a defining moment for the Catholic church

Research Professor , World Christianity and African Studies, DePaul University

Disclosure statement

Stan Chu Ilo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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During his planned visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan in February 2023, Pope Francis intends to be in dialogue with African Catholics – but also to listen to political leaders and young Africans.

This visit comes at a defining moment in what is regarded as a fairly progressive papacy.

Pope Francis has convened a worldwide consultation on the future of the Catholic church. This consultation, called a synodal process , began in 2021 and will conclude in 2024.

It is the most ambitious dialogue ever undertaken on bringing changes in Catholic beliefs and practices since the Second Vatican Council’s reforms in 1965 . It is exciting for reform-minded Catholics, but distressing for conservative Catholics.

The ongoing synodal process has exposed the fault lines in modern Catholicism on the issues of women, celibacy, sexuality, marriage, clericalism and hierarchism. How Pope Francis – who marks a decade of his papacy this year – manages these increasingly divisive issues will, in my judgement, largely define his legacy.

My research has focused on how African Catholics can bring about a consensus approach in managing these contested issues.

The big questions for me are how another papal visit to Africa at this point will address the challenges and opportunities that Africans are identifying through the synodal process – and how this plays into the state of Catholicism in Africa.

The influence of African Catholicism

The Catholic church is witnessing its fastest growth in Africa (recent statistics show 2.1% growth between 2019 and 2020). Out of a global population of 1.36 billion Catholics , 236 million are African (20% of the total).

African Catholics are not simply growing in number. They are reinventing and reinterpreting Christianity. They are infusing it with new language and spiritual vibrancy through unique ways of worshipping God.

Given its expansion, the Catholic church in Africa is well placed to be a central driver of social, political and spiritual life. In many settings, the church provides a community of hope where the fabric of society is weak because of war, humanitarian disasters and disease.

The DRC, for instance, has the highest number of Catholic health facilities in Africa at 2,185 . It is followed by Kenya with 1,092 and Nigeria with 524 facilities. Additionally, bishops have mobilised peaceful protests against violence in the DRC and Nigeria .

Another major feature of Catholicism on the continent is that it is witnessing a “youth bulge”. Central to Pope Francis’ advocacy for Africa is his appeal that churches, religious groups and governments show solidarity with young people. He calls them “the church of now”.

The pope expressed this most recently in November 2022 during a synodal consultation with African youth. He denounced the exploitation of Africa by external forces and its destruction by wars, ideologies of violence and policies that rob young people of their future.

Why DRC and South Sudan?

Pope Francis comes to Africa as part of the synodal consultation. He takes the message of a humble and merciful church to some of the most challenging parts of Africa: the DRC and South Sudan .

These two countries illustrate the impact of neo-liberal capitalism and the effects of slavery, colonialism and imperialism. Together, they have unleashed the most destructive economic, social and political upheaval in modern African history.

Read more: Conflict in the DRC: 5 articles that explain what's gone wrong

Pope Francis is coming to listen especially to the poor, to young people and to women who have been violated in conflicts. He also hopes to address the hidden wounds of clerical sexual abuse in the church.

Pope Francis will see how war, dictatorship and ecological disasters have denied ordinary people access to land, labour and lodging. These are the “three Ls” he proposes as vital in giving agency to the poor.

Some opposition

Pope Francis will no doubt receive a warm welcome during his visit. Most African Catholics embrace his message of a poor and merciful church because it speaks to their challenges.

But there are many African Catholics, particularly high-ranking church leaders, who are yet to embrace this reform agenda. The previous two popes encouraged a centralising tendency, which promoted unquestioning loyalty to Rome by African bishops. As a result, these bishops resisted attempts by African theologians to modernise and Africanise Catholic beliefs and practices to meet local needs and circumstances.

This has led to some African bishops being uncomfortable with Pope Francis’ progressive agenda on liberation theology, openness to gay Catholics, condemnation of clerical privilege and power, and inclusion of women in mainstream leadership.

Rather than being a strong church that looks like Africa, some of the Catholic dioceses on the continent have embraced medieval traditions – like Roman rituals and Latin – that alienate ordinary African Catholics, especially young people.

Africa’s future role

Pope Francis has often spoken of giving Africa a voice in the church and in the world.

Many African Catholics wonder how this will happen when, for the first time in more than 30 years, there is just one African holding an important executive function at the Vatican. This is Archbishop Protase Rugambwa of Tanzania, the secretary of the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples , a department at the Vatican’s central offices.

Many African Catholics hope that Pope Francis will announce some African appointments to the Vatican during his February 2023 visit.

They also are hoping he will create a pontifical commission for Africa, similar to the Latin American commission created in 1958. This will be a significant way of giving African Catholics a voice in the church of Rome.

Pope Francis hasn’t fully recovered from the health challenges that led to the cancellation of the trip last July. But he is making this trip because he believes that Africa matters.

Through the sessions that the pope will conduct with Africans, especially young people, it’s hoped that the Catholic church in Africa can help address the causes of war and suffering in the DRC and South Sudan, and the obstacles to reforming the church in Africa.

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Papal switcheroo as Francis changes plans at last minute to visit different Rome community

Pope Francis pulled something of a switcheroo as he slipped out of the Vatican to meet with members of a local Roman parish

ROME — Pope Francis slipped out of the Vatican on Thursday to meet with members of a local Roman parish as part of his new initiative of surprise papal prayer sessions ahead of next year’s Jubilee .

The 30 or so families who met with Francis in a building courtyard in the far west neighborhood of Palmarola were certainly surprised — especially since Francis had been expected across town at another parish community at the same time.

Francis apparently pulled the last-minute switcheroo after word had spread too much that he was planning to visit an apartment complex in Casal Bertone, a middle-class neighborhood in far-east Rome. Indeed, the city of Rome had set up police barricades to contain well-wishers, potted plants decorated the site and media crews were on hand — only to have the pope end up a no-show.

The Vatican spokesman, Matteo Bruni, didn’t address the change in plans in a statement issued late Thursday alongside a photo of the pope with the parish families he actually did meet. He said only that Francis had gone to the Palmarola neighborhood to meet with 30 families who belong to the parish of Santa Brigida di Svezia for the third round of his “school of prayer” encounters.

Unlike typical parish visits that involve church communities preparing for months to receive a pope, or highly orchestrated foreign trips that require bilateral diplomatic protocols, these prayer meetings are designed to be informal and spontaneous.

After battling poor health for much of the winter , the 87-year-old Francis has resumed a fairly robust schedule of encounters outside the Vatican. Recently he has met with groups of priests and laity in various parts of Rome and made recent day trips to Venice and Verona, with plans for upcoming visits to Trieste and the Group of Seven meeting near Bari.