VATICAN CITY, AUG. 21, 2006 (Zenit.org).- During his fourth international trip, from Sept. 9-14, Benedict XVI will visit some of the places that had great impact on his life.
The most important visits will be to Munich, the city of which he was archbishop from 1977 to 1982; the Altoetting Shrine, symbol of Bavarian Catholicism; Marktl am Inn, his birthplace; and Regensburg, the city in which he was a university professor and where his brother lives and his relatives are buried.
According to the official program, published Saturday by the Vatican press office, the papal plane will land on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 3:30 p.m. at the Franz Joseph Strauss International Airport, where the welcome ceremony at Munich will be held.
The first papal ceremony will be a prayer before the Column of the Virgin in Marienplatz.
The Holy Father will then go by popemobile to the Royal Residence, to pay a courtesy visit to the republic's federal president. He will meet the federal chancellor and the minister president of Bavaria in the same residence.
Benedict XVI will spend the night in the Archbishop's Palace of Munich, his former residence.
On Sunday, Sept. 10, one of the largest ceremonies will take place, when the Pontiff will preside over the Eucharistic celebration in Munich's Neue Messes esplanade.
Vespers
After lunching with cardinals in the Archbishop's Palace in Munich, the Holy Father will go to the city's cathedral at 5:30 p.m., to take part in the Liturgy of Vespers. Afterward he will return to the Archbishop's Palace in Munich where he will spend the night.
On Monday, Sept. 11, the Pope will travel by helicopter to the Marian Shrine of Altoetting, where he will celebrate Mass at 10:30 a.m.
After the Mass, there will be a procession with the Blessed Sacrament and a statue of the Virgin Mary, from the shrine's square to the new Adoration Chapel, which will be inaugurated with this ceremony.
That day the Pontiff will lunch at the convent of St. Magdalen of Altoetting. At 5 p.m. he will take part in the Marian Vespers with religious and seminarians of Bavaria in St. Anne's Basilica in Altoetting.
The Holy Father will then go by helicopter to his birthplace, Marktl am Inn, where he will arrive at 6:45 p.m. to make a brief visit.
At 7:20 p.m. he will travel by helicopter to Regensburg, where he will arrive at 8:20 p.m. and go directly to the St. Wolfgang Major Seminary, where he will spend the night.
On Tuesday, Sept. 12, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass in Regensburg's Islinger Feld esplanade. After lunching at the seminary, he will visit the University of Regensburg -- where he was professor and, eventually, vice rector -- to hold a meeting with representatives of science.
At 6:15 p.m. he will arrive at the cathedral of Regensburg to take part in an ecumenical celebration of Vespers.
Lunch with brother
On Wednesday, Sept. 13, the Holy Father will bless the new organ of Regensburg's Alte Kapelle, of which his brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, was director for years. He will then visit his brother's house, and lunch with him.
Later, the Pope will go by car with his brother to the Ziegetzdorf cemetery, where the mortal remains of his parents and sister are buried.
On Thursday, Sept. 14, the Pope will go by helicopter to Freising, where he will meet in the cathedral with priests and permanent deacons of Bavaria.
After the meeting, he will go by car to Munich's international airport, where the farewell ceremony will take place.
