Diocese releases new details on Pope Francis’s visit

Ciudad Juarez will buzzing with excitement for the next several weeks awaiting Pope Francis’ visit but the Diocese of Juarez is saying it is a complicated event in the making.

A new rendition of the alter the pope will be conducting mass from was released Thursday afternoon.

It’s fairly simple. Representatives of the diocese say it will be painted with colors matching the desert landscape of the region. Three sacristy rooms where priests prepare for Mass will also be built.

Twenty thousand of the seats closest to the pope we’re told will be held for special guests.

“On this special occasion immigrants and victims of violence is who the pope wants to meet and that’s who will be given those privileged seats,” said the Rev. Francisco Garcia, of the Juarez Diocese.

Garcia said seats at the end of the rows where the pope will walk along will be held for those with disabilities and people in wheel chairs

Diocese members also said after the mass the pope will walk alone about 7 meters toward the river, lay flowers down and say a prayer for those who have died crossing borders.

Garcia says groundbreaking for the new alter is expected to take place next week.

Representatives for the diocese also say they’ve already planned out a transportation system. They know now it’s going to be a three-stage process were people will take several buses or charters to get to and from the mass. Those details will be released soon.