ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has added a stop in Luxembourg to a trip to Belgium in September, a three-day visit that will come as he is recovering from a much longer and challenging trip to Asia.
The Vatican on Monday announced the Sept. 26-29 dates of the planned trip, saying Francis would first stop in Luxembourg and then travel onto Brussels, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium.
Belgium’s bishops had previously announced that Francis was coming to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the country’s two main Catholic universities. Francis’ stop in Luxembourg is apparently something of a nod to Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the Jesuit archbishop of Luxembourg who is playing a major role in Francis’ big synod, a years-long reform project for the Catholic Church.
The Luxembourg and Belgium visit is scheduled to begin less than two weeks after Francis returns from the longest and most challenging foreign trip of his pontificate, a Sept. 2-13 voyage to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.
Messi in and Dybala out in Argentina squad for pre
Trump, 78, suffers embarrassing wobble at Minnesota rally, with campaigners for 81 year
Bayer Leverkusen complete UNBEATEN Bundesliga season under Xabi Alonso as they beat Augsburg 2
New York police arrest 300 pro
French sports minister calls for sanctions after Monaco player tapes over anti
Rudy Giuliani's 80th birthday in Palm Beach ends with an indictment
China, other countries to spur trade
AI, digital technologies inject new impetus to cultural tourism boom
The unstoppable duo of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos
Kate Moss snubs Buckingham Palace garden party after failing to turn up to star
Dodgers acquire pitcher Yohan Ramírez from Mets for cash
China to cut individual housing provident fund loan rates by 0.25 percentage points