On Friday, September 30, Pope Francis embarks on his 16th pastoral visit outside Italy, to the former Soviet Republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan.
After his arrival at the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Friday morning, the Holy Father will meet with the president, with government authorities and representatives of civil society, after which he will meet the country’s Orthodox leader Patriarch Elia, who met Pope John Paul II when he visited the newly independent nation in 1999. Pope Francis will end his day on Friday with a visit to the Syro-Chaldean church of St Simon the Tanner. The pope will join Syro-Chaldean bishops from around the world there to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.
Our coverage begins on Saturday morning when Pope Francis celebrates Mass at the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi. The Holy Father will be joined by a delegation from the Orthodox Patriarchate signifying a growing friendship between the two Churches.
In the afternoon, the Pope will meet with priests, religious, seminarians and pastoral agents and will then have a moment with several hundred disabled and vulnerable people who are cared for by the Camilian order.
On Sunday, Pope Francis will travel to Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan where he will celebrate Mass for the tiny Catholic community at Church of the Immaculate, the only parish church, run by the Salesian order.
He will conclude his visit with a courtesy visit to the president and Sheik Allashukur Pashazade, the region’s Muslim leader, as well as meeting with representatives of all the other religious communities in the country.
Salt + Light's Broadcast Schedule
Saturday, October 1, 2016
12:00pm ET / 09:00am PT — Holy Mass at Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
02:00pm ET / 11:00am PT — Meeting with Priests, Religious, Seminarians and Pastoral Agents, Tbilisi, Georgia
Sunday, October 2, 2016
12:00pm ET / 09:00am PT — Holy Mass at the Church of the Immaculate, Baku, Azerbaijan
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