Luanda – The Catholic Church is waiting for 500,000 faithful to participate at a mass to be presided by the Pope Benedict XVI, scheduled for 23 March at Cimangola square, in Luanda, in the ambit of his tour of Africa.

The information was released Friday by Dom Filomeno Vieira Dias, coordinator of commission tasked to prepare the Pope’s visit while speaking to the press.

According to the bishop there will be faithful from all the provinces beside the delegations from official archdiocesan and those who will come individually.

"Official delegations will come with 4,000 people belonging to the archdiocesan’’, said Dom Filomeno Vieira Dias.

Relating to accommodation, the bishop added that to receive official delegations they transformed the Catholic schools into sheltering centres.

The faithful will provide by themselves the accommodation because the church is not able to do so. For them we will grant conditions related to medicine, meal kitchens, sanitary structures and transports from one place to another.

During his arrival, on 20 March, the Pope will meet Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos, with members of society, political parties and with the bishops of Angola and Sao Tome and Principe.

On the following day, he will celebrate a mass with the bishops, priests, religious and ecclesiastic movements of Angola and will meet youths at Coqueiros Stadium.

On 22 March, Pope Benedict XVI will give a mass at Cimangola square, in Luanda and will also meet the Catholic movements to promote women. On the 23 March, he will be back to Rome.

Benedict XVI is the third Pope visiting Africa, after Pope VI and João Paulo II.