Go and make disciples...

This Pope is proclaimed not to be “charismatic.” Well, of course, he’s charismatic: he’s a proven "people magnet." In his quiet and kindly way, he is a human dynamo. He’s going to address the German parliament, meet Jewish and Muslim groups, hold a prayer vigil with young people and celebrate Mass in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Among very much else: that’s just the headlines. And we’ve seen here how visits by this supposedly frail old man go: they begin well, and then build up from there. He’s hardly had time to recover from Madrid: and already he’s off again. I’m not going to say anything more, just give you his schedule. Read it: even better, pray for it as it unfolds. A man 30 years younger would find this exhausting: my only comment is that nobody of his age could do it (as he triumphantly will) without the constant comfort and support of almighty God, for whose existence this Pope is almost a one-man proof. Just look at this, then ponder and marvel:

Thursday, Sept. 22 (Rome, Berlin)

- 8:15 am, Departure from Rome’s Ciampino airport for Berlin.

- 10:30 am, Arrival at Berlin Tegel Airport. Official welcome.

- 11:15 pm, Welcoming ceremony at Bellevue Palace in Berlin. Speech by the pope.

Courtesy visit with German President Christian Wulff in Bellevue Palace.
- 12:50 pm, Official meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel at the headquarters of the German bishops’ conference in Berlin, next to the Catholic Academy.
- 1:30 pm, Lunch with papal entourage at the Catholic Academy.

- 4:15 pm, Visit to the federal Parliament in the Reichstag Building in Berlin. Speech by the pope.

- 5:15 pm, Meeting with representatives of the Jewish community in a room of the Reichstag Building. Speech by the pope.
- 6:30 pm, Mass in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. Homily by the pope.

Friday, Sept. 23 (Berlin, Erfurt, Etzelsbach)

- 7:15 am, Private Mass in chapel of apostolic nunciature in Berlin.

- 9 am, Meeting with representatives of the Muslim community in reception room of the apostolic nunciature. Speech by the pope.
- 10 am, Departure by plane from Berlin Tegel Airport for Erfurt.
- 10:45 am, Arrival at Erfurt airport.
- 11:15 am, Visit to St Mary’s Cathedral in Erfurt.
- 11:45 am, Meeting with representatives of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany, in the Chapter Room of the Monastery of St. Augustine in Erfurt. Speech by the pope.
- 12:20 pm, Ecumenical service in the Church of St. Augustine. Talk by the pope.
- 1:20 pm, Lunch with papal entourage in Erfurt seminary.
- 4:45 pm, Departure in helicopter from Erfurt airport for Etzelsbach.
- 5:30 pm, Arrival at Etzelsbach heliport.
- 5:45 pm, Marian evening prayer service at the Wallfahrtskapelle in Etzelsbach. Talk by the pope.
- 7 pm, Departure in helicopter from Etzelsbach for Erfurt.
- 7:40 pm, Arrival at Erfurt airport.

Saturday, Sept. 24 (Erfurt, Freiburg im Breisgau)
- 9 am, Mass at the Domplatz market square in Erfurt. Homily by the pope.
- 11:50 am, Departure by plane from Erfurt airport for Lahr.
- 12:50 pm, Arrival at Lahr airport.
- 2 pm, Visit to the cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau.
- 2:15 pm, Encounter with townspeople in Cathedral Square of Freiburg im Breisgau. Greeting by the pope.
- 4:50 pm, Meeting with ex-Chancellor Helmut Kohl in seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau.
- 5:15 pm, Meeting with representatives of Orthodox churches in the auditorium of the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau. Greeting by the pope.
- 5:45 pm, Meeting with seminarians in the Chapel of St. Charles Borromeo in seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau. Greeting by the pope.
- 6:15 pm, Meeting with the council of the Central Committee of German Catholics in the auditorium of the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau. Speech by the pope.
- 7 pm, Prayer vigil with young people at the trade fair grounds of Freiburg im Breisgau. Speech by the pope.

Sunday, Sept. 25 (Freiburg im Breisgau, Rome)
- 10 am, Mass at tourist airport of Freiburg im Breisgau. Homily by the pope.
-Recital of the Angelus. Talk by the pope.
- 12:45 pm, Lunch with members of the German bishops’ conference and papal entourage at seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau.
- 4:20 pm, Meeting with judges of the Federal Constitutional Court in auditorium of the seminary of Freiburg im Breisgau.
- 5 pm, Meeting with Catholics involved in the church and in society in the Concert Hall of Freiburg im Breisgau. Speech by the pope.
- 6:45 pm, Departure ceremony at Lahr airport. Speech by the pope.
- 7:15 pm, Departure in plane from Lahr airport for Rome.
- 8:45 pm, Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.

Then, I assume, back to Castel Gandolfo. But there will be no let up: He’s then, off to Benin in November and Iraq in January. This is a man who repeatedly asked his predecessor for permission to retire, who longed for a peaceful retirement in his beloved Regensburg home: and now…