![[home]](/comm/images/usccb_logo.gif){kind=logo}
WASHINGTON (April 6, 2006)—The Holy See's Pontifical Council for Social Communications has released information for broadcasters regarding the coordination of worldwide telecasts of the 2006 Good Friday and Easter Sunday ceremonies of Pope Benedict XVI.
Friday, April 14, 2006, 19:10-20:50 UTC (GMT), the Pope is scheduled to preside at the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome.
Sunday, April 16, 2006, 08:25-09:55 UTC (GMT), the Holy Father celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Square.
-09:55-10:45 UTC (GMT), Easter Message and Blessing "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and to the World") from St. Peter's Square.
Television coverage of these ceremonies will be provided as a coproduction of the Vatican Television Center (CTV) and Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI). Worldwide distribution will be offered through RAI in cooperation with CTV, and coordinated by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
Television networks and outlets which wish to take part in these global telecasts are asked to contact: in Europe: Eurovision-EBU, in the world, INTELSAT/PanAmSat, in Latin America, OTI (Organizacion de la Television Iberoamericana).
Details concerning the exact satellites and frequencies will be posted on the Pontifical Council for Social Communications' complementary Website www.pccs.it (click on "Mondovisione"), in addition to texts and background information for television producers and commentators. For those who cannot receive the transmissions with the above services, alternative satellite reception possibilities can be explored upon request.
The Pontifical Council will also make available, for those who request it, commentary for the celebrations in any one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese; RAI will make available commentary in Italian. In addition to the television images, the INTELSAT and PanAmSat satellites will carry international sound and commentary in those languages.
Television networks and stations which, for technical reasons, cannot make use of satellite audio signals can use telephone circuits with the Vatican by contacting: Mr. Joseph Soureal of Telecom Italia, email: youssef.soureal@telecomitalia.it, Fax +39 06 3689 4506, Tel. +39 06 3689 4067.
For fully equipped positions for television commentators in the Braccio di Carlo Magno, next to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, interested networks and stations are asked to contact Mrs. Laura Maggiore at RAI.
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications will cover the technical expenses for satellite uplink. For developing countries which find themselves in particular difficulty, on recommendation of the respective Papal Representative, the Council will cover downlink expenses, but not the expenses for local/national transmission of the programs.
Additional information is available from www.pccs.it ("Mondovisone") or the Pontifical Council's satellite telecasts coordinator, Mr. Thaddeus Jones, FAX +39 06 6988 5373, Tel. +39 06 6988 4622)
Archbishop John Foley is President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.