P R O G R A M Friday, May 9 ROME 09.30 Departure from Leonardo da Vinci International Airport for Amman, Jordan. AMMAN 14.30 WELCOME CEREMONY at Queen Alia International Airport. - Address by the Holy Father. 15.30 VISIT TO THE REGINA PACIS CENTER - Address by the Holy Father. 17.40 COURTESY VISIT TO THE KING AND QUEEN OF JORDAN Royal Palace al-Husseinye Saturday, May 9 AMMAN 07.15 Private Mass at the Chapel of Apostolic Nunciature. MT. NEBO 09.15 VISIT TO THE OLD BASILICA AT THE MOSES MEMORIAL - Address by the Holy Father. MADABA 10.30 BLESSING OF THE CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY OF MADABA OF THE LATIN PATRIARCHATE - Address by the Holy Father. AMMAN 11.30 VISIT TO THE HASHEMITE MUSEUM AND THE AL-HUSSEIN BIN-TALAL MOSQUE 11.45 MEETING WITH MUSLIM RELIGIOUS LEADERS, THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND THE RECTORS OF JORDANIAN UNIVERSITIES Al-Hussein bin-Talal Mosque - Address by the Holy Father. 17.30 CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, SEMINARIANS AND ECCLESIASTICAL MOVEMENTS Greek-Melkite Cathedral of St. George. - Address by the Holy Father. Sunday, May 10 AMMAN 10.00 HOLY MASS at the International Stadium of Amman. - Homily by the Holy Father. - RECITATION OF THE REGINA CAELI - Remarks by the Holy Father. 12.45 Lunch with the Patriarchs and Bishops at the Latin Vicariate of Amman, Bethany beyond the Jordan 17.30 VISIT TO BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN - SITE OF THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST 18.00 BLESSING OF THE CORNERSTONE OF THE CHURCHES OF THE LATINS AND GREEK MELKITES, Bethany beyond the Jordan. - Address by the Holy Father. Monday, May 11 AMMAN 07.30 Private Mass, Chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature. 10.00 DEPARTURE CEREMONY, Queen Alia International Airport. 10.30 Departure for Tel Aviv. ISRAEL TEL AVIV 11.00 ARRIVAL CEREMONY, Ben Gurion International Airport. - Address of the Holy Father. JERUSALEM 16.15 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF ISRAEL, Presidential Palace. - Address by the Holy Father 17.45 VISIT TO YAD VASHEM MEMORIAL - Address by the Holy Father 18.45 MEETING WITH ORGANIZATIONS FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOG Auditorium, Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center. - Address by the Holy Father Tuesday, May 12 09.00 VISIT TO THE DOME OF THE ROCK, Temple Mount. COURTESY VISIT TO THE GRAND MUFTI OF JERUSALEM, Temple Mount. - Address by the Holy Father 10.00 VISIT TO THE WESTERN WALL 10.45 COURTESY VISIT TO THE TWO GRAND RABBIS OF JERUSALEM, Hechal Shlomo Center - Address by the Holy Father 11.50 'REGINA CAELI' PRAYER WITH THE ORDINARIES (BISHOPS) OF THE HOLY LAND, at the Cenacle - Address by the Holy Father 12.30 Brief visit to the Co-Cathedral of the Latins of Jerusalem. 13.00 Lunch with the bishops and abbots of the Holy Land, and the papal entourage, at the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 16.30 HOLY MASS, Josaphat Valley. - Homily by the Holy Father Wednesday, May 13 BETHLEHEM 09.00 WELCOME CEREMONY, Square in front of the Presidential Palace - Address by the Holy Father. 10.00 HOLY MASS, Manger Square - Homily by the Holy Father. 12.30 Lunch with the bishops of the Holy Land, the Franciscan community, and the papal entourage, Franciscan Convent of Casa Nova. 15.30 PRIVATE VISIT TO THE GROTTO OF THE NATIVITY 16.10 VISIT TO THE CARITAS BABY HOSPITAL 16.45 VISIT TO THE AIDA REFUGEE CAMP - Address by the Holy Father. 18.00 COURTESY VISIT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, Presidential Palace. 18.40 FAREWELL CEREMONY, Courtyard of the Presidential Palace. - Address by the Holy Father. Thursday, May 14 NAZARETH 10.00 HOLY MASS, Precipice Mount. - Homily by the Holy Father 12.30 Lunch with local bishops, the Franciscan community and the papal entourage, at the Franciscan convent. 16.30 GREETING TO THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF GALILEE Auditorium of the Shrine of the Annunciation. - Address by the Holy Father 17.00 VISIT TO THE GROTTO OF THE ANNUNCIATION 17.30 CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH THE BISHOPS, PRIESTS, RELIGIOUS, ECCLESIAL MOVEMENTS AND PASTORAL WORKERS OF GALILEE, Upper Basilica of the Annunciation. - Address by the Holy Father Friday, May 15 JERUSALEM 07.30 Private Mass, Chapel of the Apostolic Delegation. 09.15 ECUMENICAL ENCOUNTER, Throne Room of the Greek Orthodox See in Jerusalem. - Address by the Holy Father 10.15 VISIT TO THE HOLY SEPULCHRE - Address by the Holy Father 11.10 VISIT TO THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC PATRIARCHAL CHURCH OF ST. JAMES - Address by the Holy Father TEL AVIV 13.30 DEPARTURE CEREMONY, Ben Gurion International Airport - Address by the Holy Father. 14.00 Departure for Rome. ROME 16.50 Arrival at Ciampino airport. Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories are 1 hour ahead of Rome. NB: For security reasons, the program does not include details of the Holy Father's travel and displacements in the course of the pilgrimage.
Lord Jesus, history has always had in the Successor of Peter a guide and a pastor who has shown the way to fulfilling the will of the God the Father. We entrust to you these months of preparation for the visit of our Pope Benedict. Give us your Holy Spirit that we might know how to prepare ourselves in prayer so that this visit may be a time of renewal and particular grace for the Holy Land.