Pope Francis will celebrate Mass at GSP stadium in Nicosia during his imminent visit to Cyprus on Friday December 3, Philenews reports citing Foreign Ministry insiders.
High-ranking Vatican officials and members of the Pope’s security team are back in Cyprus for additional meetings with officers of the Ministry’s Protocol Department aiming to draft the visit’s agenda.
Pope Francis will be received as head of state and all security measures to be taken will be proportional since he is considered as a ‘high-risk’ person, an insider also said.
The Police will close all streets through which the Pope will pass by, while Paphos Gate area where he will stay, will be closed for two days. Only residents with a special permit will be able to enter and exit the area.
The Pope will stay in the capital of Nicosia from December 2 to 4 and this is his first visit to the divided Mediterranean island.
He will then be in Greece from December 4 to 6, most of the time in Athens.
A Vatican source has said the visit to the Greek island of Lesbos where irregular migrants are staying would be on December 5.
