Pope to Visit France

Pope Benedict will arrive in Paris Sept. 12,address intellectuals and artists,preside over an evening prayer with clergy, religious and seminarians, celebrate Mass, and then travel to Lourdes to meet with pilgrims and the French Bishops.

PARIS (CNS) - Pope Benedict XVI will visit France Sept. 12-15, spending two days in Paris before going to Lourdes to participate in events surrounding the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions to St. Bernadette Soubirous.

The French bishops announced April 28 that Pope Benedict would arrive in Paris Sept. 12, be welcomed by top government officials, then address a gathering of intellectuals and artists representing "the world of culture."

Later that day, he is scheduled to preside over an evening prayer service with priests, deacons, religious and seminarians in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, then address young people who will gather in the square outside the landmark church.

The pope will celebrate Mass Sept. 13 on the lawn of Les Invalides, a complex originally built in the 17th century as a hospital and home for wounded war veterans. The complex now contains a military museum and the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The French bishops also said the pope hoped to meet in Paris with representatives of other Christian churches and with members of the French Jewish and Muslim communities, although final details of the meetings have not been set.

Pope Benedict will fly to Lourdes the afternoon of Sept. 13, they said, and he will address pilgrims at the evening candlelight Marian procession.

The pope will celebrate Mass with the pilgrims gathered at the shrine the morning of Sept. 14, will meet in the afternoon with the bishops of France and will end the day by participating in a eucharistic procession.

Before leaving Lourdes Sept. 15, Pope Benedict will celebrate another Mass at the shrine and anoint some of the sick who go there seeking healing, the bishops said.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops