ITINERARY FOR JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 (VIS) - The itinerary for Pope John Paul's March 20-26 Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Land was published this afternoon:

Monday, March 20

- 9 a.m.: Departure for Amman, Jordan
- 2 p.m.: Arrival Amman, and welcome ceremony.
- 3:15 p.m.: Private visit to monastery on Mount Nebo at Madaba.
- 6:15 p.m. Courtesy visit to king of Jordan.

Tuesday, March 21

- 9 a.m.: Mass in Amman Stadium.
- 12 noon: Meeting with patriarch and bishops in Latin Vicariate of Amman.
- 3:45 p.m.: Visit to Wadi-Al-Kharrar in the Valley of Jordan.
- 4:30 p.m.: Farewell ceremony.
- 5 p.m.: Departure for Tel Aviv.
- 5:30 p.m.: Arrival at Tel Aviv and welcome ceremony.
- 6:20 p.m.: Departure by helicopter for Jerusalem.
- 6:45 p.m.: Arrival in Jerusalem.

Wednesday, March 22

- 8:15 a.m.: Departure for Bethlehem (Autonomous Territories of the Palestinian National Authority).
- 8:30 a.m.: Arrival in Bethlehem and welcome ceremony.
- 10 a.m.: Mass in Manger Square in front of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
- 3:45 p.m.: Private visit to the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
- 4:15 p.m.: Courtesy visit to the president of the Palestinian National Authority.
- 5:15 p.m.: Visit to the refugee camp of Deheisha.
- 6:30 p.m.: Departure ceremony from Bethlehem for Jerusalem.

Thursday, March 23

- 8:30 a.m.: Mass in private in the chapel of the Cenacle in Jerusalem.
- 11 a.m.: Courtesy visit to the two chief rabbis of Israel.
- 11:30 a.m.: Courtesy visit to president of Israel.
- 12:30 p.m.: Visit to the Hall of Remembrance of Yad Vashem.
- 5:45 p.m.: Inter-religious encounter.

Friday, March 24

- 8:15 a.m.: Departure for Korazim.
- 10 a.m.: Mass for Youth at the Domus Galilaeae on the Mount of the Beatitudes at Korazim.
- 4 p.m.: Meeting with the prime minister of Israel.
- 4:45 p.m.: Private visit to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves of Tabgha.
- 5:10 p.m.: Private visit to the Church of the Primacy of Peter in Tabgha.
- 5:40 p.m.: Private visit to Shrine of the House of St. Peter in Capernaum. - 6:15 p.m.: Departure for Jerusalem.

Saturday, March 25

- 8:15 a.m.: Departure for Nazareth.
- 9:20 a.m.: Prayer in the Grotto of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
- 10 a.m.: Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
- 12:50 p.m.: Departure for Jerusalem.
- 5 p.m.: Greetings to the consuls general of the Apostolic delegation in Jerusalem.
- 5:30 p.m.: Private visit to the Basilica of the Garden of Gethsemane.
- 6 p.m.: Ecumenical encounter in the Throne Room of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Sunday, March 26

- 10 a.m.: Courtesy visit to the grand mufti of Jerusalem.
- 10:30 a.m.: Visit to the Western Wall of Jerusalem.
- 11:30 a.m.: Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and recitation of the angelus.
- 2:30 p.m.: Meeting with patriarchs and bishops in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
- 6 p.m.: Departure for Tel Aviv.
- 6:30 p.m.: Farewell ceremony at Tel Aviv.
- 10:45 p.m.: Arrival at Rome's Ciampino Airport.

The following note was added at the end of the itinerary: "The eventual inclusion of a brief visit by the Holy Father to Al-Maghtas, in the Jordan Valley near Jericho, is still under study by the authorities in whose jurisdiction this lies. The decision will be communicated as soon as it has been taken."

JPII-PILGRIMAGE;HOLY LAND;...;...;VIS;20000306;Word: 540;

CONSISTORY FOR CANONIZATIONS TO BE HELD MARCH 10

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 (VIS) - On Friday, March 10, at 11:30 a.m., during the celebration of sext, the sixth hour, in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, there will be an ordinary public consistory for the canonization of the following Blesseds:

Agostino Tchao, priest and other martyr Blesseds in China (17th-20th centuries); Cristobal Magellanes and 24 companions, priests and lay people, martyrs; Jose Maria de Yermo y Parres, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Poor; Maria Giuseppa del Cuore di Gesu Sanchez de Guerra, foundress of the Institute of the Servants of Jesus; Catherine Marie Drexel, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People; Maria Faustina Kowalska, religious of the Institute of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

OCL;CANONIZATIONS;...;...;VIS;20000306;Word: 150;

THE FIRST BEATIFICATIONS OF 2000, UNDER THE SIGN OF MARTYRDOM

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope received the pilgrims who yesterday took part in the beatification of 44 martyrs from Brazil, Belarus, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. "The first beatification of the year 2000," said the Holy Father, "takes place under the sign of martyrdom, in other words of the total giving of oneself to Christ and to the Gospel."

Speaking of the Vietnamese Blessed Andre de Phu Yen, John Paul II asked that all Vietnamese Catholics "even today, may find in his example the strength to be faithful to their Christian vocation, in faith to the Church and to their country."

He continued: "I pray that through the intercession of Fr. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung (of Thailand), the Catholic community in your country will always be blessed with priests imbued with that same spirit."

The Pope went on to request that many young people follow the example of the Filipino Blessed Pedro Calungsod "and give themselves to the Lord in the many forms of lay apostolate or in the priesthood and religious life."

Speaking of Andre de Soveral and Ambrosio Francisco Ferro, priests, and 28 companions, Brazilian martyrs, he said: "Let us ask God that the example of faith of these first Christians, especially those families of martyrs ... may bring us to renew our commitment to a fruitful and bold evangelization at all levels of society."

Lastly, speaking Polish, the Pope addressed the pilgrims who had come for the beatification of Maria Stella Adela Mardosewicz and her 10 fellow sisters of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who were martyred in what was formerly eastern Poland, and is now Belarus.

AC;BEATIFICATIONS;...;...;VIS;20000306;Word: 280;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Eugenio de Araujo Sales, archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Cardinal William Wakefield Baum, major penitentiary.
- Vitali Ignatenko, accompanied by his wife.

On Saturday, March 4, he received in audience Valdas Adamkus, president of the Republic of Lithuania, accompanied by his wife.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20000306;Word: 60;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Ottavio Vitale R.C.I., diocesan administrator of Lezhe (area 750, population 63,500, Catholics 58,420, priests 9, religious 26), Albania, as apostolic administrator of the same diocese.
- Fr. Prele Gjurashaj O.F.M., provincial vicar of the Franciscan Order at Scutari, Albania, as apostolic administrator of Pult (area 140, population 46,247, Catholics 30,810, priests 4, religious 10), Albania.

- Fr. Cristoforo Palmieri C.N., diocesan administrator of Rreshen (area 3,463, population 259,000, Catholics 70,000, priests 8, religious 16), Albania, as apostolic administrator of the same diocese.

- Fr. Dode Gjergji of the diocesan clergy of Skopje, Albania, and pastor of Kallmet, as apostolic administrator of Sape (area 2,544, population 177,000, Catholics 159,000, priests 6, religious 22), Albania.

On Saturday, March 4, it was made public that he:

- Appointed Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia of the clergy of Rome, pastor of St. Mary in Trastevere and ecclesial assistant to the community of St. Egidio, as bishop of Terni-Narni-Amelia (area 871, population 162,000, Catholics 160,000, priests 137, permanent deacons 12, religious 209), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Boville Ernica, Italy, in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1970. He succeeds Bishop Franco Gualdrini, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, as his special envoy to the Mexican National Eucharistic Congress, due to take place in Mexico City from May 5 to 7.

- Appointed Archbishop Santos Abril y Castello, apostolic nuncio in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as apostolic nuncio in Argentina.

NA; NER; RE; NN;...;...;...;VIS;20000306;Word: 250;