Pope Francis to visit family hometown in Italy in November

Pope Francis will travel to the northern Italian town of Asti, in the Piedmont region, on 19-20 November for his cousin’s 90th birthday.

“We are so happy for this news” said Bishop Marco Prastaro of Asti, “We will do everything to welcome Pope Francis and respect his wish that part of the visit be private”.

On Wednesday, 19 October, the Prefecture of the Papal Household announced that on the afternoon of Saturday, 19 November, on the occasion of the 90th birthday of one of his cousins, the Holy Father will travel to Asti to meet with family members in private.

On Sunday, 20 November, Solemnity of Christ the King, the Holy Father will preside at the Eucharist Celebration at 11:00am in Asti Cathedral, to meet the diocesan community his parents had left to emigrate to Argentina in 1929.

In the afternoon the Holy Father will return to the Vatican.