Vatican, Feb. 8, 2008 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican has officially confirmed plans for a papal trip to the US, with stops in Washington and New York, for April 15- 21.
Plans for the papal trip had already been disclosed by the apostolic nuncio in Washington, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, during an address to the US bishops' conference last November. The Vatican, however, traditionally does not make an official announcement of papal travel plans until a few weeks before the trip.
Planning for the Pope's trip to the US arose from an invitation to visit UN headquarters in New York; the Holy Father will speak there on April 18. He will celebrate Mass in St. Patrick's cathedral the next day, and on April 20 he will visit "Ground Zero" (the site where the World Trade Center towers stood before they were demolished by the 9/11 terror attack) and celebrate Mass in Yankee Stadium.
Before he arrives in New York, Pope Benedict will stop first in Washington. There he will meet with President George W. Bush at the White House on April 16, and preside at a prayer service at the national shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The next day he will celebrate Mass at the city's baseball stadium, then visit Catholic University and the Pope John Paul II (bio - news) Cultural Center. At Catholic University he will speak to the leaders of Catholic colleges and universities; at the John Paul II Center he will meet with representatives of other American religious groups.
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