Information Released to Broadcasters on Worldwide Telecasts of Holy Father's Good Friday and Easter Sunday Ceremonies
WASHINGTON (March 11, 2004) -— The Holy See's Pontifical Council for Social Communications has released information for broadcasters regarding the coordination of worldwide telecasts of the Good Friday and Easter Sunday ceremonies of the Holy Father:
April 9, Friday, 19:10-20:45 UTC (GMT), the Pope is scheduled to preside at the Stations of the Cross at the Colosseum.
April 11, Sunday, 8:25-9:55 UTC (GMT), Easter Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in St. Peter's Square.
-9:55-10:40 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-for worldwide distribution-will be provided by Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), in cooperation with the Vatican Television Center (CTV), and will be 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;
-in parts of Latin America, through PanAmSat and Intelsat.
Television networks and stations that want to take part in these worldwide telecasts are asked to contact:
-in Europe, RAI, Eurovision Office, Mrs. Laura Maggiore, Tel. +39 06 3317 0053/2814; Fax + 39 06 3317 1151; E-mail, eurovision@rai.it
-elsewhere, Telespazio, Mr.Sergio Bernardi, Tel. + 39 06 4079 3487; Fax +39 06 4079 3487; Fax, + 39 06 407 1790; E-mail: customer_support@telespazio.it
-in Latin America, OTI (Organizacion de la Television Iberoamericana), Mr. Dario de la Pena, Fax, +52 55 5281 1564/280 7847; E-mail: otiprogramas @oti.tv, or, if necessary, Telespazio as noted.
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications will make available, for those who request it, commentary for the celebrations in any one of the following languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Ukrainian. 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 these 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: Telecom Italia, Mr. Joseph Soureal, Tel. +39 06 3689 4067/4657. Fax +39 06 3689 4506/4413.
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.
Archbishop John Foley is President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.