Sri Lanka prepares for Pope's visit

Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has entrusted his United National Party (UNP) senior parliamentarian John Amaratunga with the task of organizing the visit of Pope Francis to the island-nation from January 13 to 15.

Amaratunga told national radio that a special discussion will be held at the Archbishop's house in Colombo today to discuss the arrangements.

A meeting with the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs will be held in the afternoon to discuss the issue, reports the Lanka Page web site.

The Pope will leave Rome on January 12 and will arrive in Sri Lanka the next day, reports the Lanka Page web site.

He will be given a ceremonial welcome at the Srimavo Bandaranaike Airport before heading into a meeting with the Sri Lankan Council of Catholic Bishops on the same day in Colombo.

Thereafter, he will meet President Maithreepala Sirisena at Temple Trees, the official residence of the president at 5 p.m.

Pope Francis will then speak at an Inter-religious Meeting at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo at 6.15 p.m.

On Wednesday, he will deliver a Holy Mass and Canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz at the Galle Face Green in Colombo.

The Pope will then be taken to Madhu Church by helicopter at 2 p.m. and the Pope will hold a mass and deliver a speech at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary at Madhu at 3.30 p.m. He will be transferred back to Colombo by helicopter after the mass.

On Thursday, he will visit the Chapel "Our Lady of Lanka" at Bolawalana before departing for Manila at 9 a.m.