Pope John Paul has set the dates of March 21st to 26th for his millennium pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Israeli officials said yesterday.
A Vatican delegation was in Israel last week to prepare for the visit, which would be the first by a Pope to the Holy Land since 1964, Israel's Government Press Office said. "The Pastoral visit will take place in Israel from March [21st to 26th] 2000," the statement said.
An Israeli official said that on one of the days during his pilgrimage, the Pope would visit the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem, which is under the rule of the Palestinian Authority.
The Israeli statement said the Pope would go to holy sites and meet state and religious leaders.
Jordanian officials have said they expect the Pope to visit Jordan about March 20th before going to Israel.
A dispute over the building of a mosque in the Israeli city of Nazareth, the boyhood home o Jesus, has cast a shadow over the Pope's plans to visit. The mosque, approved by Israel, is due to be built near the Basilica of the Annunciation, where Christians believe the Angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she would give birth to Jesus.