Apostolic visit 22 – 25 September 2011

Programme

Thursday, 22 September 2011
10:30 a.m.        Arrival of the Pope at BerlinTegel Airport
11:15 a.m.        Official welcome by the German President Christian Wulff at Bellevue Castle (until 12:30 p.m.)
04:45 p.m.        Visit to the Deutsche Bundestag and speech at the Deutsche Bundestag (until 05:45 p.m.)
06:30 p.m.        Celebration of the Eucharist at Olympic Stadium Berlin (location modified) (until 08:30 p.m.), Overnight stay in Berlin

Friday, 23 September 2011
10:00 a.m.        Flight from Berlin Tegel to Erfurt
10:45 a.m.        Arrival at Erfurt Airport and welcome by the Prime Minister (Ministerpräsidentin) of Thuringia
11:15 a.m.       Welcome of the Pope at Erfurt Cathedral
11:45 a.m.        Talk with members of the Evangelical Church of Germany at the Augustinerkloster and ecumenical service of the word (until 01:00 p.m.)
04:45 p.m.        Helicopter flight from Erfurt Airport to the Wallfahrtskapelle (pilgrimage chapel) of Etzelsbach (Eichsfeld)
05:45 p.m.        Marian Vesper service in Etzelsbach
07:00 p.m.        Helicopter flight from Etzelsbach to Erfurt, Overnight stay in Erfurt

Saturday, 24 September 2011
09:00 a.m.        Celebration of the Eucharist at the Domplatz, Erfurt (until 11:00 a.m.)
11:50 a.m.        Flight from Erfurt to Lahr
12:50 p.m.        Arrival at Lahr Airport, Welcome by the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg and continuation of the journey to Freiburg
02:00 p.m.        Visit to the Freiburg Münster and welcome on the Münsterplatz
05:30 p.m.        Meeting with representatives of the Orthodox Church
07:00 p.m.        Prayer vigil with young people at the Messegelände (exhibition site) (until 08:15 p.m), Overnight stay in Freiburg

Sunday, 25 September 2011
10:00 a.m.        Celebration of the Eucharist at Freiburg Airport
01:00 p.m.        Lunch with members of the German Bishops’ Conference
05:00 p.m.        Speech and meeting with catholics being involved in church and society at the Konzerthaus, Freiburg
06:00 p.m.        Drive to Lahr Airport
07:15 p.m.        Flight from Lahr to Rome

The programme also includes meetings of the Pope with representatives of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, with representatives of Islam and with members of the Central Committee of German Catholics. In addition, Pope Benedict XVI talked to Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, to the President of the German Bundestag, Norbert Lammert and to representatives of the Federal Constitutional Court.