VFriday morning, the King and Queen will receive the Pope as head of state of the Vatican at Laeken Castle, then a meeting will take place with the authorities, corporate bodies and civil society. In the afternoon he will travel to Leuven, where he will speak with professors and students at KU Leuven.
Several disruptions are expected in Brussels. Avenue des Franciscans in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, where the Apostolic Nunciature is located, will remain closed until Sunday. A restrictive system is in place in the surrounding streets.
From 10 p.m. until Saturday at 2 p.m., Stib tram 9 will be diverted and several bus lines (13, 53, 87 and N16) will undergo route changes around the Koekelberg Basilica.
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On Saturday morning, the Pope will meet bishops, priests, deacons, consecrated persons, seminarians and pastoral actors in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Koekelberg. In the afternoon, he will go to Louvain-la-Neuve to discuss the theme of climate change with students and professors from UCLouvain.
The pope’s visit will end on Sunday morning at the King Baudouin Stadium, where he will preside over the Eucharist, in the presence of the royal family and 35,000 spectators.
