| Pope Benedict to begin three-day visit to the Czech Republic |
| Saturday, 26 September 2009 21:14 |
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There can hardly be a bigger event for the Czech Catholic community than a visit by the pope. On Saturday long months of preparation will be come to an end as His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI arrives Saturday for a three-day weekend that will see him crossing the country from Brno to Prague. One of the many people involved in organising the visit is Monika Vývodová of the Czech Bishops’ Conference. Earlier today I spoke with her about the pontiff’s schedule.“After his arrival at the airport he will go to the Church of the Infant of Prague, and this is basically his morning programme. In the afternoon he is going to meet the president, politicians and diplomats in the Spanish Hall of Prague Castle and his first day will be concluded with the celebration of vespers where he is going to meet representatives of religious orders, seminarians, priests and people from lay movements in the Cathedral of St. Vitus in Prague. On Sunday he is going to go to Brno where he will be celebrating Mass for about 100,000 thousand pilgrims, and after that he is returning to Prague and will meet representatives of other Christian churches and after that he will meet academics. The last day is day is dedicated to the feast of Saint Wenceslas, so Pope Benedict will be going to Stará Boleslav.” There has been much talk about the gifts being prepared they include everything from liturgical items to symbolic rocks. What is the Bishops’ Conference giving the pope? “The Bishops’ Conference is giving the pope an official rosary which is made of gold and Czech garnets.” Are you concerned that the pope does not have enough rosaries? The Palladium of the Czech Nation, photo: Maria Hammerich-Maier “We are not concerned that the pope doesn’t have enough rosaries; this is a very special gift which has symbolic value because the cross is a symbol from the Great Moravian Church and the rosset of the rosary is a symbol of the Palladium of the Czech Nation, from Stará Boleslav [an emblem of Madonna and child that Czech Catholics attribute with the power to protect the country]. So it’s a very special gift with very special symbolism that the Czech and Moravian bishops want to give to His Holiness, and we believe it is a unique work of art as well.”
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 26 September 2009 21:16 |
