The arrival of Pope Francis in Ajaccio on December 15 is confirmed by Cardinal Bustillo, and will be confirmed in the coming hours by the Holy See. A historic first for the island, which should attract around a hundred thousand spectators. Discover, on our map, the route planned for this pastoral visit.
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For Corsica, this is a historic first: the Pope will visit the island, and more precisely Ajaccio, on December 15. An exceptional trip centered on a single day, confirmed this Thursday by a press release from the Holy See, and specified in a video posted on the website of the Church of Corsica in which Cardinal Dominique Mamberti speaks.
In a land marked by the Christian religion – and with strong and ancient links with the Holy See – a very large audience, undoubtedly made up of more than 100,000 spectators, is expected. The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, or his Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, should also be present to welcome him, although no confirmation from the Elysée.
If changes can be made up to the last minute, discover on this map the program, step by step, of the pastoral visit to the imperial city, which will alternate between meetings, wanderings, religious stops, songs, and especially the holding a large open-air mass.
8:40 a.m.: Arrival and official welcome at Ajaccio airport
The Pope and his entourage are due to land at 8:40 a.m. at Campo dell'Oro airport. There, he should be officially welcomed, either by the President of the Republic himself, Emmanuel Macron, or by the Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, and by a ministerial delegation. An exchange within the terminal would be scheduled.
This will be followed by strolls aboard the “Papamobile”, starting from the Ajaccian seafront.
10 a.m.: Stop at the Saint-Jean baptistery
The Pope will stop at the Saint-Jean Baptistery. A time of contemplation is planned, accompanied by religious songs.
Listed as a historic monument since 2013, the remains of this paleo-Christian baptistery of the first cathedral of Ajaccio were unearthed by Inrap archaeologists in 2005. It is here that the episcopal seat was once located, mentioned for the first time in one of the letters of Pope Gregory the Great, dated 601.
10:15 a.m.: Arrival at the Palais des Congrès and closing of the conference
The pastoral delegation is expected at the Palais des Congrès, where a conference dedicated to “Popular piety in the Mediterranean basin” has been taking place since the day before. Pope Francis is due to deliver the closing speech of the event, before setting off again.
11 a.m.: Arrival at Place Foch and stop in front of A Madunnuccia
The popemobile should arrive around 11 a.m. at the town hall, then reach Place Foch and the Madunnuccia statue. There, the Pope will dedicate a stop and a time of prayer.
11:20 am: Arrival at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
The pastoral delegation is scheduled to arrive at 11:20 a.m. at Ajaccio Cathedral, where Francis will meet and interact with Corsican clergy. The Pope will then go up the Cours Grandval towards the bishopric.
12 p.m.: Arrival and break within the bishopric
A time of rest and meeting: François must return to the seat of the bishopric of Ajaccio from midday. There, discussions with charitable associations are announced, as well as a moment of break for the pastoral delegation, before setting off again almost three hours later.
2:50 p.m.: Public stroll, passing through Place Miot
Once leaving the bishopric, a stroll in a popemobile through some Ajaccian streets is announced. The Pope will pass through Place Miot, where a capacity of 7,000 spectators is envisaged, and will go up to Casone.
The journey will be followed throughout by a public, kept at a distance by barriers. “Fan zones” equipped with giant screens are planned to allow spectators to follow the event in images.
3:30 p.m.: Outdoor mass at Casone
The procession is scheduled to arrive at the Casone site at 3 p.m. There, an open-air mass will be celebrated from 3:30 p.m. by Pope Francis, in front of an audience of 8,000 spectators. To attend, they must register in advance on a dedicated platform which will be open in the coming hours.
A moment punctuated by the Diu vi salvi Regina, and which should, again, be broadcast to as many people as possible via giant screens installed by the organization in several places in the imperial city.
5:30 p.m.: Ceremony and departure by plane
After nine hours in Ajaccio, the Vatican delegation will leave the island by air transport. Before his departure for Rome, the pope should be celebrated with a final ceremony.
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