Sarajevo is ready for Pope Francis's arrival

On the occasion of the visit of the Vatican head Pope Francis to Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 6, the first press conference was held in the VIP lounge at Zetra, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

The press center will operate daily for the next five days, with one central conference.

After Pope Francis announced his visit to BiH, two organizational committees were formed: the State Organizational Committee and the Church Organizational Committee. The Holy Father is coming this time as a head of state.

During his visit to BiH, Pope Francis will visit seven locations, the most important of which is the visit to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the Holy Father will address the state and executive authorities at the state level.

In addition, the Chairman of the Presidency of BiH, Mladen Ivanić, will also give a speech. Pope Francis will meet with all three members of the Presidency of BiH. On Titova Street, where a grand ceremony is planned, Pope Francis will release doves of peace and wish all citizens a message of peace, "Peace be with you.".

The Secretary-General of the Organizational Committee, Tonka Krešić, invited all citizens to come on Saturday and welcome the Holy Father, Pope Francis, with their presence.

The member of the Organizational Committee and Prime Minister of Sarajevo Canton, Elmedin Konaković, stated that Sarajevo Canton is fully ready to welcome the arrival of Pope Francis, all pilgrims, and all people of goodwill who will visit our city in the next few days.

The representative of the Church Committee and head of the Pilgrim Registration Office, Tomislav Mlakić, highlighted the reason for the Pope's visit to Sarajevo.

- Pope Francis is coming to encourage Catholics in this country, strengthen interreligious dialogue, and strengthen all of us and call us to peace. For the Holy Mass with the Pope at the Koševo stadium, 64,842 pilgrims have registered. Around 35,000 believers are coming from BiH. Pilgrims are also coming from neighboring countries such as Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Slovenia, but also from other countries around the world, such as Egypt, Hungary, Czech Republic... - said Mlakić.

The representative of the Security Subcommittee, Irfan Nefić, stated that the Security Committee was formed on time and has held all scheduled meetings so far.

Nefić said that the security segment affects the entire event, and the police have taken all necessary measures to create a pleasant and safe environment for the event to unfold, together with all citizens, pilgrims, and believers, reports Patria.