PROGRAMME FOR THE POPE'S VISIT TO CAGLIARI

Vatican City, 11 September 2013 (VIS) – On 22 September Pope Francis will visit Cagliari, on the Italian island of Sardinia, as was announced during the general audience of 15 May, when it was affirmed that a long-standing bond of brotherhood existed between the cities of Buenos Aires and Cagliari. “At the moment of the founding of the city of Buenos Aires, its founder wanted to name it 'City of the Most Holy Trinity', but the sailors who had brought him there were Sardinian and they wanted it to be called 'City of the Virgin of Bonaria'. There was an argument and, in the end, they arrived at a compromise. Thus the city's name turned out to be rather long: 'City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Our Lady of Bonaria'. Since it was so long, only the last word remained: Bonaria, Buenos Aires, in memory of your image of the Virgin of Bonaria”.

The aeroplane carrying the Pope will depart at 7.30 a.m. from Ciampino airport, Rome, and will land 45 minutes later at Mario Mameli airport, Cagliari. At 8.45 a.m., in the city of Cagliari, he will meet with and address representatives from the world of work; he will then greet the island's authorities and, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria, will visit the sick and celebrate Holy Mass at 10.30 a.m.

At 1 p.m. he will lunch with the bishops of Sardinia in the Regional Pontifical Seminary of Cagliari and at 3 p.m. in the Cathedral he will meet with the poor and some detainees. An hour later, in the Great Hall of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology, he will encounter some representatives from the world of culture and at 5 p.m., following the performance of “Cast your nets”, he will meet with young people in Largo Carlo Felice. The Pope will leave Sardinia at 6.30 p.m. and will return to the Vatican at 7.30 p.m.