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.
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