More information continues to seep out about Pope Benedict's swing through Washington in about two months. Fortunately for him, he's picked one of the nicest times of the year to be in the District. Unfortunately for the trip organizers, getting hotel rooms for the papal entourage, Italian press corps, etc., during this most popular time of year, has been quite a headache.

Thanks to a three-hour discussion last week with archdiocesan spokeswoman Susan Gibbs, we got a better run-down on the pontiff's first three days on U.S. soil. He gets in late afternoon on April 15, arriving at Andrews Air Force Base, no doubt a little bit jetlagged.

Next morning he's at the White House meeting President Bush and various State Department officials. After lunch with various cardinals at the papal nunciature on Massachusetts Avenue, his next meeting is not until 5:30 pm. at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Very Italian, this pope; except for Sunday, there's siesta time scheduled in each day of the trip.

We're not sure at which point he's going to celebrate his 81st birthday that day. My daughter turns 3 that same day so if he's up for a photo op with a little munchkin, Miss Olivia Veronika says she'd be glad to put in an appearance.

By the way, the Washington archdiocese has created a foundation, Christ Our Hope, to help pay for this visit but there's nothing about it posted on the archdiocesan Web site yet. Someone's got to pay for the $1.5 million a day this event is said to cost.

Thursday the 17th is going to be the one day Washingtonians have much hope of actually seeing the pope. If you're not one of the fortunate 45,000 to get into Nationals stadium, you may be able to line one of the streets -- probably near Catholic University -- where the popemobile may go. Yes, the famous glassed-in popemobile is being flown in for the occasion. More on his exact route in the coming weeks.

Just super-sizing the stadium Mass will be quite the undertaking. Three hundred priests will be handing out Communion wafers to 45,000 people in about 20 minutes.

One hundred priests will be on hand to hear confessions. Doors will open about 6 a.m. with a cast of thousands at the ready. Pray for decent weather.

If you're looking for more info and happen to be a 20 or 30-something Catholic, Archbishop Wuerl will be answering questions on the pope and his visit at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Ireland's Four Fields, 3412 Connecticut Ave. NW during a meeting of Theology on Tap. ToT is a monthly Q&A between a priest (usually) and beer-imbibing young Catholics.

The archdiocese is going to pull out all the stops for this visit, no doubt about that.

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