Popes don't visit Washington every day, which is why, starting today, we're hosting this Papal Visit blog to keep tabs on every detail about Pope Benedict XVI's April 15-20 visit to here and the Big Apple.

It's a privileged spot, being where the pope chooses to alight; especially with the current pontiff who at nearly 81 years may not get back to these shores again. Being that it's hard to track ALL the details of the where and when of pope watching, we thought we'd provide a one-stop place where you can read up on various articles, itineraries, press releases and other factoids one will need to know to take full advantage of Benedict's first visit to our capital city.

Although the major contributor to this blog will be myself, I hope to draw other editors and reporters into the mix. I'm a veteran of two papal events: the 2005 election of Pope Benedict, which I covered out of Rome, and John Paul II's multi-city swing through the southern states in 1987. At the time, I was working for the Houston Chronicle, which assigned four reporters and an army of photographers to follow the gregarious pontiff about the country.

There will be a lot of details out there too miniscule for a story but appropriate for a blog. Benedict moves a little slower than John Paul did. He generally limits himself to two public events per day with a rest period in the early afternoon. He will be driven — not helicoptered — about Washington and New York but unfortunately will not be taking part in any parades or motorcades. The local archdiocese will control who gets to share meals with him at his digs at the papal nunciature here and at the Vatican delegation's resident on 72nd Street in New York. So your chances of glimpsing him during his visit is small unless you're one of the lucky 45,000 Catholics (or 65,000 in New York) who gets to attend one of two stadium Masses.

Feel free to post questions and comments about the visit on this blog, as I will be talking regularly with planners of the 2008 visit and may have a chance to get answers to some of the questions. There are few things — for a reporter — more interesting or fun than a papal visit, so here's hoping you find these next three months as fascinating as I will.

— Julia Duin, assistant national editor/religion, The Washington Times