POPE TO ARRIVE IN NEW DELHI THIS EVENING

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 1999 (VIS) - At 8:25 a.m. today, John Paul II left Rome's Fiumicino airport bound for New Delhi, India, where he is due to arrive at 8 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m.in Rome), after a journey of 6,021 kilometers. He thus begins his 89th pastoral visit outside Italy. After a brief and informal welcome at the airport he will travel to the apostolic nunciature where he will dine and spend the night.

Tomorrow, Saturday November 6, the Pope will celebrate Mass in private. He will then make a courtesy visit to the president of the Republic and later meet with the vice-president. At midday he is scheduled to visit Gandhi's grave and, following lunch, will go to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart where he will promulgate the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, "Ecclesia in Asia." This Exhortation represents the outcome of the Special Assembly for Asia which was held in the Vatican from April 19 to May 14, 1998.

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