Archbishop Pezzuto: News of Pope Francis's visit to Sarajevo is official, public, and certain

Pope Francis will visit Sarajevo on June 6th this year, and he announced his arrival in the Vatican while addressing the faithful in St. Peter's Square during the regular weekly prayer, writes the Patria news agency.

Apostolic Nuncio to BiH Luigi Pezzuto said that the Pope personally wanted to announce this news, as he did during the Sunday Mass in the Vatican.

- I have spoken with him many times about this visit. He has a great desire to meet the people of Sarajevo and everyone in BiH. The news is official, public, and certain. Now we are beginning the process of preparing for this papal journey. This is a pastoral visit by the Pope - says Archbishop Pezzuto.

He added that the Pope's heart holds great values such as solidarity, mutual respect, dialogue at all levels, interreligious dialogue and ecumenical dialogue, peace, and he will convey all of this to the people of BiH, and bless this land.

Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Vinko Puljić, stated that, given that the Pope's visit is a one-day event, a program must be organized within that day which he will propose and which the Holy See will approve. First, a church committee will be established in agreement with the bishops, and the cooperation of state institutions, as well as the media, is very important.

The central event of Pope Francis's visit will be the celebration of Holy Mass, which the Pope will lead with the people, and then there will be other meetings with bishops, and a visit to the Presidency of BiH will likely be included, but there is time to do everything necessary by June 6th.