The Bishop and Pope of Rome, Francis, will pay a visit to Greece from today, Saturday, until Monday, when he will leave, at the invitation of the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
His visit is symbolic, as it will not produce results at the level of inter-Christian relations, however, his insistence on coming – as it is said – and his contacts create a climate of good human communication, with messages of solidarity, brotherhood and love.
Moreover, the relations between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church have been restored, since the Greek Orthodox, but also from other Orthodox countries, choose Rome, the Vatican and universities controlled by the Roman Catholic Church to study. Respectively, Roman Catholic students study in universities of Orthodox countries, but also in Greece. In fact, it is worth mentioning that the Apostolic Diakonia, the official ecclesiastical organization under the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, has a special section for the learning of the Greek language by these students.
The trip of the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church and his stay in Greece take place five years after his first visit to Lesvos, in April 2016, where the historic meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece, Jerome, took place. as well as twenty years since the first visit of the Primate of the Catholic Church, after the Schism of 1054. In May 2001, at the invitation of the then President of the Republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, and as part of the pilgrimage to the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, the Pope John Paul II came to Athens, where he met with the blessed Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos.
Moreover, his visit converges with the completion of forty-one years of diplomatic relations between Greece and the Holy See.
This is the Pope’s 35th trip abroad, after his election in 2013, and marks his return to Lesvos, the iconic island of the immigration crisis and his meeting with refugees.
The wish expressed for the pontiff’s trip to Greece by the Archbishop of the Catholics of Athens, Fr. Theodoros Kontidis, is special: “To be a testimony of peace and love, a new step of unity between us. We will welcome Pope Francis in Athens, the cradle of this great civilization, where the Apostle of the Nations Paul preached the message of the unity of the human race, the love of God and salvation in Christ “.
The program of the Apostolic Journey of the Pope
Saturday
11:10 Arrival in Athens.
11:10 Official reception at the international airport “El. Venizelos “.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, is expected to receive, on behalf of the government, the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church upon his arrival at the airport on a special Aegean flight.
A private meeting will follow in an airport lounge.
12:00 Reception ceremony at the Presidential Palace.
12:15 Ceremonial visit to the President of the Republic in her personal office.
12:30 Meeting with the Prime Minister at the Presidential Palace.
12:45 Meeting with representatives of the Authorities, the Local Government and the Diplomatic Corps at the Presidential Palace.
16:00 Ceremonial visit to the Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece Ieronymos to the Archdiocese of Athens.
16:30 Meeting of Archbishop Jerome and Pope Francis and their entourage in the Throne Hall, in the Archdiocese of Athens.
17:15 Meeting with the Bishops, Priests, members of the Lonely Orders and the Dedicated Life, Hierarchs and Catholics of the Catholic Church in Greece, at the Holy Cathedral of Agios Dionysios of the Areopagite of the Catholics.
18:45 Private meeting with members of the Brotherhood of Jesus in the Apostolic Nunciature.
Sunday
09:15 Departure by air for Lesvos.
10:10 Arrival at Mytilene airport.
10:45 Visit to the refugees at the “Reception and Identification Center”.
12:15 Departure for Athens.
13:10 Arrival at the Athens International Airport “El. Venizelos “.
16:45 Divine Liturgy at the Athens Concert Hall.
19:00 Ceremonial visit of Archbishop Jerome to the Pope at the Apostolic Nunciature.
Monday
08:15 Visit of the Speaker of Parliament, Costa Tassoula, to the Apostolic Nunciatura in Athens.
09:45 Meeting with young people at the Primary School “Agios Dionysios” of the Hellenic French School of Ursulines (Maroussi).
11:15 Farewell ceremony at the international airport “El. Venizelos “.
11:30 Departure for Rome.
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