Pope Francis to visit Brazil in July for youth festival

BBC ^ | 24 March 2013 Last updated at 06:47 ET

[haffast]

Pope Francis, the Catholic Church's first Latin American leader, has announced in his Palm Sunday homily he will visit Brazil in July.

He will attend a Catholic youth gathering in Rio de Janeiro, saying Mass on Copacabana beach and praying at the Christ the Redeemer statue.

The Pope spoke in St Peter's Square as Holy Week, the most important period in the Christian calendar, began.

Thousands of people waved olive branches and palm fronds in the crowd.

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'See you in Rio'

The Catholic youth festival is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims from around the world.

Towards the end of his homily, the pontiff said: "I look forward joyfully to next July in Rio de Janeiro.

"I will see you in that great city in Brazil."

The gathering in Rio would, he said, be a "sign of faith for the whole world".

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Pope Francis has decided to modify some traditional Vatican Holy Week observances.

On Thursday, for example, he will visit a prison for young offenders in a Roman suburb where he will symbolically wash the feet of 12 young prisoners.

In previous years the ceremony was performed by the pope in Rome's Cathedral of Saint John Lateran, with priests symbolising the 12 apostles.

[CdMGuy]

I recall reading in the Catholic media that the main reason that Pope Francis will not be conducting Holy Thursday Mass in St. John Lateran is because the cathedral is undergoing significant repair and renewal construction.

[ELS]

No, it is because he has not yet taken possession of the cathedral as the Bishop of Rome. He will presumably do that before Holy Week in 2014 and can then hold the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in St. John Lateran.