Thursday, September 16, 2010

Midnight in the East, 5am in Britain, and suffice it to say...


A year in the making, The Day has arrived.

At 10.30 UK time (5.30 ET), Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Edinburgh to begin the first-ever state visit of a Roman Pontiff to the British Isles. A half-hour later, the official welcome begins at the Palace of Holyroodhouse as Queen Elizabeth II receives the Pope at her official residence in the Scottish capital, and the duo exchange speeches.

The day's other highlight comes rather late as this pontificate's usual road scheduling goes -- a 5.15pm (12.15 ET) Mass in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park, following which B16 will fly to London before settling in for the night.

Beyond all the usual suspects running livestreams, the official PopeTrip site will likewise be webcasting everything in real-time. For all the rest, texts, photos and the usual whatever else happens will appear here as soon as they drop.

-30-