By Carol Glatz • Catholic News Service • Posted May 16, 2018

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican released an updated schedule of Pope Francis’ one-day visit to Geneva, which will highlight the importance of Christians praying and working together on their ecumenical journey.

The new schedule added a brief meeting with bishops and papal diplomats in Switzerland as well as provided times for some events that had not been specified in the original schedule released May 7.

The pope will visit the ecumenical center of the World Council of Churches, where he will be part of an ecumenical prayer service and meeting June 21. The pope also will meet privately with the president of the Swiss confederation and celebrate Mass with the local Catholic community.

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The papal visit is part of celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the World Council of Churches — a fellowship of Christian communities and churches, seeking visible unity among Christians.

The Vatican released the pope’s updated schedule, the pope’s 23rd trip abroad, May 16.

Here is the schedule released by the Vatican. Times listed are local, with Eastern Daylight Time in parenthesis.

Thursday, June 21 (Rome, Geneva, Rome)

— 8:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m.) Departure from Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

— 10:10 a.m. (4:10 a.m.) Arrival at Geneva’s international airport. Welcoming ceremony. Private meeting at the airport with Alain Berset, president of the Swiss confederation.

— 11:15 a.m. (5:15 a.m.) Ecumenical prayer at the World Council of Churches’ ecumenical center. Homily by pope.

— 12:45 p.m. (6:45 a.m.) Lunch with the WCC leadership at the council’s Ecumenical Institute at Bossey.

— 3:45 p.m. (9:45 a.m.) Ecumenical encounter at the WCC’s ecumenical center. Speech by pope.

— 5:30 p.m. (11:30 a.m.) Mass at Geneva’s Palexpo convention center. Homily by pope.

— 7:15 p.m. (1:15 p.m.) Farewell meeting with the bishops and members working for the diplomatic mission of the Holy See in Switzerland.

— 7:45 p.m. (1:45 p.m.) Departure ceremony at the airport.

— 8 p.m. (2 p.m.) Departure by plane for Rome.

— 9:40 p.m. (3:40 p.m.) Arrival at Rome’s Ciampino airport.