After the pope’s April 16 visit at the White House, around noon the pope will travel in the popemobile to the Vatican Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue. From the White House, the route will follow Pennsylvania Avenue to Washington Circle. From there, the motorcade will head toward Massachusetts Avenue through Rock Creek Parkway, to the residence located across from the U.S. Naval Observatory. 

The public generally can see the pope from the sidewalks throughout the route. Sidewalks immediately in front of the White House, and Lafayette Park directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, will be closed to the public, however. Washington Circle also will be closed as a viewing location.

           

Later that day, at approximately 5:15 p.m., the pope will board the popemobile for a second motorcade from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops offices, 3211 4^th Street, NE, to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Michigan Avenue where he will meet with the U.S. bishops. The public can see the pope along this route from the west side of 4^th Street, NE and from the south side of Michigan Avenue in front of and across the Street from the Shrine.

           

Sporadic automobile traffic restrictions or, “rolling closures,” will occur during the pope’s April 16 travel times, affecting the following streets:

                                                                                   

 

 

Cross streets one block north and one block south of                     11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Pennsylvania Avenue

 

(Massachusetts Avenue)

 

Circle (South)

 

 

 

On April 17, a third opportunity to see Pope Benedict will take place on the campus of The Catholic University of America, as he travels across campus to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center to meet with faith leaders from many religions. Access to viewing areas on Catholic University’s campus is available only through tickets that the University has made available through local church-sponsored Catholic organizations. Tickets are available in blocks of 50 or more only to local Catholic Church-sponsored organizations (including parishes). Submissions for blocks of tickets must be sent no later than Thursday, April 10, to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Name, address and affiliation are required.

 

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POPE BENEDICT XVI TO MEET WITH EDUCATORS AT CUA

WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI will address educators from more that 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the U.S. and representatives from all 195 Catholic dioceses in the nation in a speech at The Catholic University of America, April 17.  The speech is part of the pope’s three-day Washington visit during his six-day trip to the U.S.  The pope will spend April 18 – 20 in New York before returning to Rome.

 

The pope will be introduced by Catholic University president, Father David O’Connell.  Admission to this event is by ticket only.  Upon arriving, the pope will be greeted by more than 4,000 Catholic University  Another 6,000 tickets have been made available to Catholic students from other Washington area Catholic and public colleges and universities and Church-sponsored Catholic organizations (including parishes) to see the pope later that evening as he travels across CatholicUniversity in the popemobile to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center on Harewood Road.  Requests for these tickets must be made through sponsoring Catholic organizations and are available in blocks of 50 or more.  Submission for blocks of tickets must be sent no later than Thursday, April 10, to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Name, address and affiliation are required. students and community members. 

Greeting the pope inside as he arrives will be 63 seminarians and nine faculty members from Theological College, Catholic University’s seminary.  An additional 150 seminarians from other Washington area seminaries will join those gathered on the lawn.

For those ticketed to campus events, the day begins early with an opportunity to view a Jumbotron transmission of the papal Mass from Nationals Park on the Catholic University lawn, between the EdwardJ. Pryzbyla Center and the Columbus Law School.  Afterwards, a movie and day-long musical entertainment will be provided on the lawn.  Pope Benedict’s address to the college and university heads will be transmitted via the Jumbotron.

The pope’s visit marks the third one of a pope to a U.S. college or university and the second papal visit to Catholic University.   Founded in 1887, Catholic University, with an undergraduate and graduate school enrollment of approximately 6,400 students, is unique among Catholic colleges in having been established by and for U.S. Catholic bishops.  The first visit to Catholic University occurred in 1979 during Pope John Paul II’s six-city U.S. tour when he addressed Catholic educators, theologians and university presidents.

Eight years later, at Xavier University in New Orleans, he again addressed higher education Catholic leaders including approximately 1,800 Catholic elementary and secondary teachers and religious instructors. 

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