Sao Paulo, Brazil, Apr 13, 2007 / 09:11 am
One of the hosts of Pope Benedict XVI’s upcoming visit to Brazil, Archbishop Odilo Scherer, said this more than one million people are expected to attend the Masses which the Pope will celebrate.
During his visit to the country, the Pope will celebrate two massive outdoor liturgies. The first will take place on May 11 at the Campo de Marte in Sao Paulo for the canonization of Friar Galvao, the first Brazilian to be raised to the altar. The second Mass will take place on Sunday, May 13, to open the V General Conference of the Latin American Bishops’ Conference at the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida.
According to Archbishop Scherer, at the second Mass, the Pope will ask the Latin American bishops to be involved in the “processes of transformation” of the region, and he will address some of the challenges facing Latin America.
In addition to the two outdoor Masses, the Pope will also meet with an estimated 35,000 young people at in a stadium in Sao Paulo.