Itinerary of Papal Visit to Israel
May 11-15, 2009
Monday, 11 May 2009: Arrival and Official Welcome
- Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport (from Jordan), Official welcoming ceremony headed by President Shimon Peres.
- Brief reception by the Mayor of Jerusalem and local leaders
- Official welcoming ceremony and meeting with President Shimon Peres
- Visit Yad Vashem Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Memorial of the Holocaust
- Meeting with the Council of Religious Community Leaders in Israel (the Chief Rabbis, the President of the Moslem Religious Court of Appeals, Christian religious leaders, and the heads of the Druze Community)
Tuesday, 12 May 2009: Jerusalem and the Mass at Kidron Valley
- Visit at the Temple Mount and meeting with the Grand Mufti
- Visit the Western Wall accompanied by the Chief Rabbis
- Visit the Chief Rabbis of Israel at Heichal Shlomo Synagogue
- Visit Mt. Zion and the Cenacle (the site of the Last Supper)
- Visit Gethsemane Church and hold Mass at the Kidron Valley with an expected 5000 participants.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009: Visit Bethlehem
- Welcoming by the head of the Palestinian Authority and preparations for the mass at Manger Square
Thursday, 14 May 2009: Visit to Nazareth
- Brief reception by the Mayor of Nazareth with local leaders
- Holy Mass at Mount of the Precipice
- Visit the Church of the Annunciation for Mass
- Meeting with the local religious leaders in the Galilee
Friday, 15 May 2009: Visit to Local Churches and Farewell
- Meet with local religious leaders at local Churches in Jerusalem
- Official farewell and ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport, including speeches by President Shimon Peres and Pope Benedict XVI