Please be advised that buses and personal vehicles should be marked with a poster or an appropriate sign of recognition. Police will be present at every entrance to Sarajevo and direct you towards the parking lots you will be welcomed by volonteers and given further instructions towards the stadium. Apart from the parking space, personal vehicles will be able to park on pavements as directed by the police (city parking garages are safer).
Arrival to Sarajevo should be planned for 6 a.m. at the latest so that the necessary security pre-checks can be done on the roads (after this is done, all major roads will be blocked at 8 a.m.), and the traffic jams can be avoided (800 buses and many personal vehicles have been registered).
The entrance to the liturgical space – the stadium will be possible from 4 a.m., and by 9 a.m. all pilgrims need to be at the stadium. At 8 a.m. there will be a a welcome address will be delivered to the pilgrims, providing them with necessary information and calling them for a prayer.
Only persons holding the entrance tickets obtained at their parishes will be able to enter the liturgic space – the stadium.
Pastors or pilgrim group leaders need to inform the pilgrims that there will be a police check-up of all pilgrims before entering the liturgical space – the stadium. The following is prohibited from the liturgic space – the stadium:
a) explosive substances, pyrotechnics (lighters, firecrackers, torches, Bengal lights and similar), flammable mixtures and liquids, sprays and compressed air bottles, firearms or cold weapons (knives, all metal objects, bars, rods, chains, scissors, razors, manicure sets, metal cutlery and similar);
b) items which can cause harm or self-harm;
c) food and beverage, which pilgrims bring, in a metal or glass packaging;
d) all kinds of alcoholic beverages and umbrellas
Priests need to bring with them and beware of the following
a) a suitable liturgical vestment headbands, cassock (alb), belt, orarion (stole) in white colour (otherwise they will not be able to concelebrate)
b) priests co-celebrators dressed in liturgical vestment are prohibited from using any type of recording devices, mobiles, cameras and similar;
d) it is necessary to come to certain sacristies at the liturgical space – stadium, and dress a liturgical vestment;
e) all notices which apply to pilgrims likewise apply to priests with a note that they must respect the valid liturgical regulations and actual regulations by the Vatican Office for liturgical preparation of Pope’s travels;
Dress rehersal for the singers starts at 8,30 a.m. at the designated place for choirs near the altar. However, the singing practice for choirs from Sarajevo and choirs which are in Sarajevo then will also be held on Friday 5 June 2015 at 16,00 at the stadium. Each person needs to bring own music notes. After the singing rehearsal there will be a pre-program at 9, 30 a.m.: spiritual – meditative program enriched with songs and music.
Priests need to bring with them and beware of the following:
a) an entry ticket, a personal document (priests and believers): an ID (priests from BiH) or a passport (pilgrims who are not from BiH);
b) a health insurance card and medical history if suffering from a chronic desease, and the necessary medicine they use;
c) water, refreshing drinks in a transparent plastic packaging, and if they are bringing food, it has to be in a cardboard or paper packaging;
d) a raincoat (recommended), in case of rain;
e) During the greeting with the Holy Father, and his procession through the pilgrims, it is not allowed to throw anything, not even flowers;
f) during the eucharistic celebration there will be no applauding or showing of any slogans and banners, but photo cameras can be used;
Recommendation to the pilgrims:
do not carry large amounts of cash or items of greater value in case of possible theft or loss;
b) follow the weather forecast and dress suitably and appropriately for the eucharistic celebration;
c) follow instructions from official persons: program manager, voloneers, security guards and police which will be in civil uniform;
d) if you need medical assistance, speak to the nearest volonteer who will be wearing a recogniseable sign on the uniform;
The Pope arrives at the Cathedral at 16,20 hours. Only spiritual vocation persons who receive the entry ticket to the Cathedral will be able to enter while others will be able to follow the program from the stage ouside the Cathedral. There will be a large monitor and sound system put in front of the Cathedral. There have been 1400 persons registered, and only 600 can fit in the Cathedral. It has, therefore, been decided that only representatives of all levels of spiritual vocations can enter the Cathedral. In terms of carrying things inside the Cathedral, the same rules as for the Mass on Koševo apply. The pre-program at the Cathedral starts at 15,15 and the entrance is allowed until 14,00 hours.
The Pope arrives at the Youth Centreof theArchdiocese John Paul II at 18,30 hours. The entrance to the sports hall Renovabis will be open from 16,00, and only the youth with the entrance ticket for Renovabis will be able to enter. The rest will be able to follow the programme at the stage outside the Centre, where there will be a large monitor and sound system. The situation is similar to the Cathedral where over 4000 youth have registered, and only 850 can enter. We have endeavoured to ensure that the representatives of all youth from BiH, Croatia and the whole region enter the sports hall. The pre-program starts at 17,00 hours.
We hope that those who will be cleaning the premises after the Pope’s visit will feel that there were spiritual programs held there.
Notice to those arriving from abroad
For those arriving from outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina, please note that the motorway toll payments are made only in convertible marks, while credit cards and Euro paper notes will also be accepted (but for Euro payments, the change will be in Bosnian Convertible Marks (BAM), the currency exchange rate of 1.9 BAM for 1 EUR)
All drivers are recommended to prepare small change ahead of the journey so that the flow of passengers on the motorways is as efficient as possible.
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