Vatican City, May 17, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The official program of the Holy Father’s apostolic trip to Bern, Switzerland, June 5 and 6, for a national gathering of Catholic Youth was made public yesterday.
John Paul II will leave Rome’s Fiumicino Airport at 9:45 a.m. on June 5, arriving at Payerne Airport in Berne at 11:30 a.m. After meeting with Joseph Deiss, president of the Helvetic Confederation, he will proceed to Bern and the Viktoriaheim residence, the house of the Sisters of Charity of the Holy Cross, for lunch. At 6:15 p.m., he will meet with young Swiss Catholics in the Ice Palace in the same city and later will retire for the night at the Viktoriaheim residence.
On Sunday, June 6 at 10:30 a.m., the Holy Father will celebrate Mass outdoors in Allmend, followed by the recitation of the Angelus. At 1:45 p.m., he will meet with bishops from the Swiss Episcopal Conference and with the cardinals and bishops in his entourage in the residence. At 5:15 p.m., he is scheduled to meet with members of the Association of former Swiss Guards. At 7 p.m., he will depart from Payerne Airport for Rome with arrival scheduled for 8:45 p.m.
This is the Pope’s fourth apostolic trip to Switzerland, following those in 1982, 1984, and 1985.