The Holy See Press Office has published the updated program of the visit that Pope Francis will make to Florence next Sunday, February 27, 2022, to meet with the bishops and mayors of the Mediterranean.
According to it, the Holy Father will depart from the Vatican heliport at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 27. After a 1-hour air journey, he will arrive at the Luigi Ridolfi athletics stadium, and half an hour later he will be received at the Palazzo Vecchio, where he will make a speech before the political authorities. After meeting with families of refugees and displaced persons, the Pontiff will go to the Basilica of the Holy Cross to concelebrate the Eucharist. The return helicopter is scheduled to arrive at the Vatican at 1:30 p.m. the same day.
Here is the complete program of the visit to Florence:
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Sunday, February 27, 2022
ROME – FLORENCE – ROME (Rome Times)
| 7 a.m. | Departure from the Vatican heliport |
| 8 a.m. | Arrival in Florence at the Luigi Ridolfi athletics stadium. |
| 8:30 a.m. | Arrival of the Holy Father at the Palazzo Vecchio |
| 8:45 a.m. | Hall of Five Hundred
Greeting from: – Dario Nardella, Mayor of Florence. – Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens. – Moshe Lion, Mayor of Jerusalem.
– Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul. – Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, Metropolitan Archbishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve, President of the Episcopal Conference of Italy * Speech by Pope Francis. |
| 9:30 a.m. | weapons room
The Pontiff meets with families of refugees and displaced persons (no speeches planned). |
| 10 a.m. | Francisco travels by car to the Basilica of the Holy Cross, where he is received by the religious community of the Friars Minor.
– Private meeting with the President of the Italian Republic. |
| 10:30 a.m. | Basilica of the Holy Cross. Concelebration of the Eucharist
* Homily of the Pope. Before the final blessing: – Thanksgiving Card. Bassetti. |
| 12 noon | Basilica courtyard. Angelus
– Thanksgiving Card. Giuseppe Betori, Metropolitan Archbishop of Florence. |
| 12:30 p.m. | Departure by helicopter from the Luigi Ridolfi athletics stadium. |
| 1:30 p.m. | Arrival at the Vatican heliport. |
