Pope Francis will be visiting Marseille on Friday September 22 and Saturday September 23. In particular, he must participate in Mediterranean meetings, speak with Emmanuel Macron, go and pray at Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde and give a mass at the Vélodrome stadium. His arrival is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. at Marignane airport, where he is to be received by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Follow our live stream.
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Prayer to Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde and contemplation at the Memorial to Sailors and Migrants Missing at Sea. The pope is to go to the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde basilica to lead a prayer to the Virgin Mary with the diocesan clergy, reports France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. He must then pay his respects with religious leaders near the Memorial dedicated to sailors and migrants missing at sea. “The Mediterranean is a cemetery”did he declare.
A “historic event”, according to the mayor of Marseille. Benoît Payan, mayor (various left) of the city, believes that Marseille “corresponds” to the message of openness to others carried by the head of the Catholic Church. “It’s been five centuries since we had a pope [en visite] and for us, Marseillais, it is a powerful and strong symbol”, did he declare.
Busy day Saturday with a mass at the Vélodrome stadium. The next day, the pope must, among other things, participate at 10 a.m. in the Mediterranean meetings at the Pharo, where he was invited by Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, archbishop of Marseille. He must then meet with Emmanuel Macron at 11:30 a.m. In the afternoon, Pope Francis is due to preside over a mass at the Vélodrome stadium, in front of 57,000 people.