Pope to hear confessions, eat lunch with young people, at World Youth Day

By Justin McLellan, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis will have nine events with young people, including hearing their confessions and eating lunch with them, during his Aug. 2-6 trip to Portugal.

The Vatican released the schedule for the pope's trip June 6.

He will arrive in Lisbon Aug. 2 where he will be welcomed by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, president of Portugal, and meet with government officials including Prime Minister António Costa. The pope will then pray vespers with local bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and pastoral workers.

Pope Francis will begin his activities with young people Aug. 3, meeting with students from the Catholic University of Portugal as well as participants in the local branch of Scholas Occurrentes, an education initiative the pope has been involved with since he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

The following morning the pope will hear young people's confessions. He will then meet with aid workers from local charities before having lunch with young people at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lisbon. In the evening, he will participate in the Stations of the Cross with young people.

On Aug. 5, Pope Francis will visit the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima and pray the rosary with young people who are ill.

The pope will end his trip to Portugal by celebrating the closing Mass for World Youth Day along the Portuguese coast.

Here is the schedule for Pope Francis' trip to Portugal released by the Vatican June 6; all times are local, with Eastern time in parentheses:

Wednesday, Aug. 2 (Rome, Lisbon)

-- 7:50 a.m (1:50 a.m.) Departure by plane from Rome's Fiumicino airport to Lisbon.

-- 10 a.m. (5 a.m.) Arrival at Figo Maduro Air Base in Lisbon. Official welcome.

-- 10:45 a.m. (5:45 a.m.) Welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the National Palace of Belém.

-- 11:15 a.m. (6:15 a.m.) Courtesy visit to the president at the National Palace of Belém.

-- 12:15 p.m. (7:15 a.m.) Meeting with authorities and members of the diplomatic corps in the cultural center of Belém. Speech by pope.

-- 4:45 p.m. (11:45 a.m.) Meeting with the prime minister at the apostolic nunciature.

-- 5:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m.) Vespers with bishops, priests, religious, seminarians and pastoral workers in the Jerónimos Monastery. Homily by pope.

Thursday, Aug. 3 (Lisbon, Cascais, Lisbon)

--9 a.m. (4 a.m.) Meeting with university students at the Catholic University of Portugal. Speech by pope.

--10:40 a.m. (5:40 a.m.) Meeting with young people at the Scholas Occurrentes headquarters in Cascais. Greetings from the pope.

-- 5:45 p.m. (12:45 p.m.) Welcome ceremony in Eduardo VII Park. Speech by pope.

Friday, Aug. 4 (Lisbon)

-- 9 a.m. (4 a.m.) Pope hears confessions of young people at Empire Square.

-- 9:45 a.m. (4:45 a.m.) Meeting with representatives of charity organizations at the Serafina Parish Center. Speech by pope.

-- 12 p.m. (7 a.m.) Lunch with young people at the apostolic nunciature in Lisbon.

-- 6 p.m. (1 p.m.) Stations of the Cross with young people in Eduardo VII Park. Speech by pope.

Saturday, Aug. 5 (Lisbon, Fátima, Lisbon)

-- 8 a.m. (3 a.m.) Departure by helicopter from Figo Maduro Air Base in Lisbon to Fátima.

-- 8:50 a.m. (3:50 a.m.) Arrival at Fátima Stadium.

-- 9:30 a.m. (4:30 a.m.) Recitation of the rosary with young people who are ill at the Chapel of Apparitions of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fátima. Speech by Pope and prayer.

-- 11 a.m. (6 a.m.) Departure by helicopter from Fátima Stadium to Lisbon.

-- 11: 50 a.m. (6:50 a.m.) Arrival at Figo Maduro Air Base in Lisbon.

-- 6 p.m. (1 p.m.) Private meeting with Jesuits at the São João de Brito School.

-- 8:45 p.m. (3:45 p.m.) Vigil with young people at Tejo Park. Speech by pope.

Saturday, Aug. 6 (Lisbon, Rome)

-- 9 a.m. (4 a.m.) Closing Mass for World Youth Day at Tejo Park. Homily by pope and Angelus.

-- 4:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m.) Meeting with World Youth Day volunteers at oceanside concert venue in Algés. Speech by pope.

-- 5:50 p.m. (12:50 p.m.) Farewell ceremony at Figo Maduro Air Base in Lisbon.

-- 6:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m.) Departure by plane from Figo Maduro Air Base in Lisbon to Rome.

-- 10:15 p.m. (4:15 p.m.) Arrival at Rome's Fiumicino airport.