ZENIT - The World Seen From Rome


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Code: ZE03072208

Date: 2003-07-22

Mother Teresa's Beatification to Be a Worldwide Television Event

Vatican Gives Instructions to Interested Channels

VATICAN CITY, JULY 22, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Mother Teresa's beatification, planned for the same day the silver anniversary of John Paul II's pontificate will be celebrated, will be turned into a worldwide television event, Vatican sources say.

The Pontifical Council for Social Communications has released information for broadcasters regarding coordination of telecasts of the Mass to be celebrated by the Holy Father for the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta and to mark the 25th anniversary of his election to the papacy.

On Sunday, Oct. 19, from 7:55 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (GMT), John Paul II will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square for the beatification and the silver anniversary.

It will not be the first time that a Vatican celebration has a worldwide audience. The opening of the Holy Door at Christmas in 1999 was one of the major television events of all times.

Television coverage of these ceremonies, for worldwide distribution, will be provided by RAI (Italian Radio and Television) in cooperation with the Vatican Television Center and coordinated by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

These telecasts will be available in Europe through the EBU (European Broadcasting Union-Eurovision); in the rest of the world through INTELSAT; and in parts of Latin America, also through PANAMSAT.

Television networks and stations which wish to take part in these worldwide telecasts are asked to contact:

--in Europe:
RAI, Eurovision Office
Laura Maggiore
Telephone +39 06 3317 0053/2814
Fax +39 06 3317 1151
e-mail: eurovision@rai.it.

--in Latin America:
OTI (Organización de la Televisión Iberoamericana)
Darío De la Peña
Fax +52 55 5281 1564/280 7847
e-mail: otiprogramas@hotmail.com
or Telespazio (see below), if necessary.

--elsewhere in the world:
Telespazio
Sergio Bernardi
Telephone 39 06 4079 3487
Fax +39 06 407 1790
e-mail: customer_ support@telespazio.it.