Day Two: Benedict in Brazil

*Day Three Coverage HERE*

Pope Benedict continues his sixth apostolic journey for the second day today. This is his first papal trip outside of Europe (excluding Turkey), traveling in the most populous Catholic country in the world, Brazil. Please stay tuned for complete coverage.

NB: Complete roundup of coverage here, top photos of the trip here.

Thursday's papal itinerary (all times EST):

8.00-10:30 Private Mass at the Chapel of the Monastery
11.00-12:00 Visit to the President of the Republic
12.30 Meeting with the representatives of other Christian confessions and religions
13.15 Luncheon with the representatives of the Episcopal Conference of Brazil (CNBB)
18.00-20:00 Meeting with the youth at "Paulo Machado de Carvalho" municipal Stadium [Address of the Holy Father]
20.30 Arrival at the Monastery of São Bento, São Paulo.

Best of the Best & Breaking News:

• Photos: Pope Meets With Youth (AmericanPapist selections)
• For tomorrow/controversy: Bishops at odds with Pope over internet Mass
• Breaking: Pope: Youth Must Avoid 'Snares of Evil' (AP) // In a strong-worded message, Pope calls on Latin American youth to discover, follow God's call (CNA)
• Controversy: No mention of abortion as Pope meets Lula: "Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, met Pope Benedict XVI today amid growing controversy over abortion. Presidential aides told reporters that the issue was not mentioned during their 30-minute meeting in Sao Paulo's Bandeirantes palace. Instead the two men focused on poverty reduction and biofuel production, they said. Before the meeting, however, Brazilian newspapers reported that President Lula was bracing himself for criticism over recent comments in which he described abortion as a "public health issue".
• Noteworthy: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians: "Pope Benedict XVI's comments on excommunication for pro-abortion Catholic politicians touched on huge and sensitive issues -- so sensitive that the Vatican issued a toned-down version of his remarks the following day....The pope's opening "yes" to the direct question about excommunication had disappeared, and so had the references to Mexican bishops....In the rest of the edited version, some of the pope's verbs were changed to make his remarks more generic. Asked about the changes, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, told reporters May 10 that it was routine for the Vatican Secretariat of State to review the pope's extemporaneous remarks and clean them up a little for publication."
• Humor: Today's Papist-picture-of-the-Day.

Important general links:

• AP Photo feed
• EWTN's video coverage
• Vatican video feed
• Vatican complete itinerary of the journey
• Vatican overview page of the journey
• Official Latin American Bishops's conference page (spanish)
• Official Archdiocese of San Paolo welcome page (some english)
• PapaRaziForum coverage thread
• AmericanPapist(this blog)'s complete pre-visit coverage.

Papal texts and transcripts:

• New: Text of Pope's Meeting with Youth
• Welcome ceremony at the International Airport of São Paulo/Guarulhos - Address (May 9, 2007)
• Greeting and blessing from the balcony of the Monastery of São Bento in São Paulo - Greeting (May 9, 2007)

Most recent headlines:

• New York Times: Pope Addresses Brazil’s Youth and Meets With the President

Notable St. Blog's coverage:

• Whispers in the Loggia: First Day of the Trip: with the "First Protagonists of the Millennium" // The Soul Plane Line Dance -- Benedict: A "More Dynamic" Church; Lombardi: "No Intention" of Excommunication
• WDTPRS: Italian coverage of the Pope’s “excommunication” answer // Italian text of abortion question to Pope on the airplane
• Update: Bettnet: "The crux of what the Pope said about pro-abort pols"
• In the Light of the Law: Legislating in mid-air? First thoughts: possible, but not likely.

Catholic media coverage/analysis:

• Audio: Vatican Radio: The Pope & the Young; The Beauty of Diversity; Survival in the
  Amazon
• Zenit: Pope to Youth: The Church Needs You - Says Christ Is Calling Them to Be Saints
• CNS: Enthusiastic Brazilian youths welcome pope with song, dance, prayers
• AsiaNews.it: Pope: Youth, do not waste your life; build a just and fraternal society
• CNA: Pope arrives in Brazil stressing Christian duty to defend life, solidarity // Holy Father holds short meeting with President Lula da Silva // Pope addresses young crowd in English
• CNS: Vatican tones down papal remarks on pro-abortion Catholic politicians
• CWNews: Pope's 2nd day in Brazil begins quietly //Papal goal: "missionary impetus" for Latin Church

Mainstream coverage (linked not necessarily for accuracy, but to remain informed):

• New York Times: Pope Addresses Brazil’s Youth and Meets With the President
• Los Angelas Times: Pope's abortion comments changed by Vatican
• Reuters: Stay off sex and drugs, Pope tells Brazil's youth
• AP: Vatican changes transcript of abortion remarks
• Reuters: Pope seeks to win over Brazil's youth
• Guardian Unlimited: No mention of abortion as Pope meets Lula

From this morning's Vatican Information Service:

Summary of Apostolic Trip to Brazil (May-9-10):

CHRISTIAN VALUES WILL NEVER BE ERADICATED
POPE REPLIES TO JOURNALISTS' IN-FLIGHT QUESTIONS
VISIT TO PRESIDENT LULA AND MEETING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

The rest:

Special thanks to Amy Welborn and Domenico Bettinelli for inviting their readers to my coverage. Special thanks also to Teresa Benedetta and the other regular contributors of the PapaRatzingerForum for their incredible industry and dedication to all things Papa Benny!

Note: For the especially-motivated, even more interesting facts, photos & video here.

Note 2: I intend to watch Pope Benedict's visit with young people on EWTN today [here] at 5PM EST, and might do some "live blogging" in the commentbox below....

[photo credit & captions: (1) Pope Benedict XVI is cheered by faithful as he leaves Sao Bento Monastery - AP Photo/L'osservatore Romano. (2) Brazilian nuns wait for a public meeting with Pope Benedict XVI outside Pacaembu stadium - AP Photo/Dado Galdieri. (3) Catholic pilgrims cry after Pope Benedict XVI appears on the balcony of the Sao Bento monastery - AFP/Martin Bernatti.]