Pope to visit notoriously violent Bolivia prison in SA trip

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis will visit a notoriously violent prison in Bolivia, a flood-prone shanty in Paraguay and a home for the elderly in Ecuador during his July 5-12 visit to South America.

The Vatican on Friday released the itinerary for Francis’ second visit to his home continent, a jam-packed, three-nation whirlwind featuring 22 official speeches.

In addition to his meetings with the heads of state and religious leaders of each country, Francis will also participate in a meeting of popular movements in Bolivia on July 9.

When Francis met with the popular groups last year at the Vatican, he delivered an off-the-cuff, mini-encyclical on the rights of the poor, the injustices of unemployment, and the need for environmental protection – issues he’ll likely raise again on his home turf.