14:29 | Vatican City, Jan. 15.
Pope Francis kicked off his 22nd papal trip outside Italy on Monday. He departed Rome's Fiumicino Airport for a 15-hour journey to Santiago (Chile) to do so.
According to
Vatican News, the Pope's Apostolic visit to Chile and neighboring Peru will take him to six cities in the same number of days.
Chile
"His journey begins in the Chilean capital of Santiago, where, in addition to saying Mass for the faithful, the Holy Father will meet with civil and religious leaders and visit a women's prison," the Holy See's new information system reported.
"On Wednesday, the Pope will go to Temuco, a city with a large indigenous population, before returning to Santiago for a meeting with young people," it added.
Pope Francis' final day in Chile includes a visit to northern port city of Iquique.
Peru
The Holy Father will arrive in the Peruvian capital
Lima on January 18.
He will travel to
Puerto Maldonado —the capital of rainforest Madre de Dios region— on the following day.
On January 20, the Catholic Church's head will head to La Libertad region's capital city
Trujillo on Peru's northern coast.
According to schedule, the Supreme Pontiff will hold a multitudinous mass at Lima's
Las Palmas Air Base on January 21.
This will be the first time —in almost 30 years— that a Pope visits the Inca nation.
As is known, His Holiness Pope John Paul II traveled to Peru back in May 1988.
(END) NDP/RMB/MVB
Published: 1/15/2018