List of journeys of Pope Benedict XVI
Encyclopedia
With an average of three foreign journeys per year from 2006 to 2009, Pope Benedict XVI
has been as active in visiting other countries
as his predecessor, John Paul II, was at the same age from 1999 to 2002.
Most of these trips involve the Pope giving speeches on issues that play an important role in the region that he visits, especially on education, contraceptives, abortion, and what it means to be Catholic.
on August 18 to participate in the 20th World Youth Day
in Cologne
. There he met with President Horst Köhler
, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
, Leader of the Opposition Angela Merkel
and others, and visited the famous Cologne Cathedral
. The Pope visited the synagogue
of the Jewish community in Cologne, which is the oldest Jewish community in the world north of the Alps. Benedict and his immediate predecessor John Paul II are the only two popes since St. Peter known to have visited a synagogue. He also spoke with representatives of the Muslim
and Protestant communities of Cologne. On August 21, he led a Mass at Marienfeld
.
in Warsaw
. Throughout his visit, he often spoke a few sentences of Polish
, which he had learned phonetically. After a welcoming ceremony, Benedict drove in his popemobile to St. John's Cathedral, where he met and addressed a thousand clergymen. He also paid an official visit to the Presidential Palace
and later that day attended a meeting of leaders of various religions. The Pope celebrated an open-air Mass on Piłsudski Square in Warsaw on May 26, visited the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa
and arrived in Kraków
. On May 27 the pontiff went to Wadowice
, the birthplace of his predecessor, the sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
, the Shrine of Divine Mercy
in Łagiewniki and the Wawel Cathedral
and addressed young people gathered at Błonia park in Kraków
. On the last day of his visit on Sunday May 27, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at Błonia for about 900,000 pilgrims, and later that day prayed at the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
at the request of King Juan Carlos
and the country's Catholic
bishop
s, in particular Valencia
, for the Fifth World Meeting of Families. The closing mass was held at the City of Arts and Sciences in the city. The Archbishop of Valencia, Agustín García-Gasco Vicente
also presided in the service and made a major address to the Pope and the gathering crowds.
, Altötting
, Marktl am Inn
, and Regensburg
, all in his home state Bavaria
. After his arrival Benedict XVI was welcomed at Munich Airport by Chancellor Angela Merkel
and President Horst Köhler
. In the Popemobile
he was driven through the city of Munich
where he was the Archbishop
from 1977 to 1982. He said a prayer on Marienplatz
, the same ritual which he did before he was called to Rome
by Pope John Paul II
. More than half a million people joined the outdoor masses which were held in Munich
and Regensburg
. The Pope visited Marktl am Inn
were he was born and baptized. He also spent one day with his elder brother, Monsignor
Georg Ratzinger
. They visited their parents' grave and spent the rest of the day at Benedict's former residence, a house still owned by the pope, in a suburb of Regensburg
.
, the Pope visited Turkey
. His visit to an overwhelmingly Muslim
nation two months after his visit to Bavaria, Germany was initially overshadowed by the controversy about a lecture he had given at Regensburg
. His visit was met by nationalist and Islamic protesters and was placed under unprecedented security measures.
Arriving on November 28 at Ankara
's Esenboğa International Airport
, the Pope was welcomed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
, who was leaving for a NATO summit meeting. Later, Benedict visited the Atatürk mausoleum
, met with President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer
, held talks with Ali Bardakoğlu
, President of the Religious Affairs
, and received ambassadors at the Vatican Embassy in Ankara.
On November 29, 2006, the Pope visited the House of the Virgin Mary
at Ephesus
, where he conducted an open-air Mass. At Istanbul, he prayed with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, before holding private talks. Benedict has stated that a key goal of his papacy will be healing the long-lasting schism
between the Eastern Orthodox
and Roman Catholic
Churches.
On November 30, 2006, Benedict's attendance at the Saint Andrew's Day
's Divine Liturgy
, the primary purpose of his long-planned journey, symbolized his seeking of reconciliation between the Western
and Eastern
rites of Christianity
. Giving a message for the unity of the two Churches, both leaders signed a joint declaration.
Next, the Pope visited Hagia Sophia
, originally the greatest church of Orthodox Christianity subsequently converted into a mosque
and a museum. He then visited the Blue Mosque
.
The Pope then held talks with Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan of Constantinople
and Patriarchal Vicar
Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin
, heads of Turkey's Armenian
and the Assyrian
communities respectively. Benedict also met with Ishak Haleva
, Hakham Bashi
(Chief Rabbi) of Turkey's Sephardic Jews.
On December 1, the Pontiff wrapped up his trip by visiting the Roman Catholic
Holy Spirit Cathedral
. After releasing white doves symbolizing peace and revealing a statue of Pope Benedict XV
, he celebrated Mass in the cathedral. In his farewell speech at Istanbul Atatürk Airport
, the Pope said "a part of my heart remains in Istanbul".
, the Pope visited the sanctuary of Aparecida
and the city of São Paulo
. He used his travel to Brazil to criticize Mexican lawmakers
who legalized abortion. However, the Pope made sure that, although he agreed with Bishops who claimed that politicians in Mexico "excommunicated themselves", there would be no formal excommunication of those individuals.
In Aparecida he addressed the Latin American Bishops' Conference. During his speech, the Pope condemned abortion and the use of contraceptives. He also condemned the negatives of capitalism and also Marxism for its destructive effects on economies, government, and religion. He also said that it is important to prevent Catholics from turning to Protestant religions, and to instead reinvigorate their connection to the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict XVI canonised Friar Antônio Galvão, a Franciscan who lived in the 18th century, at a festive mass before hundreds of thousands of people in São Paulo.
at 11:15 a.m., where he was greeted by Austria
's President Heinz Fischer
and Cardinal
Archbishop
Christoph Schönborn. The visit was labelled as a pilgrimage
to Austria's national shrine at Mariazell Basilica
. During his three-day visit, he also visited Heiligenkreuz Abbey
and joined Vienna's chief rabbi
in a memorial
to the 65,000 Viennese Jews
who perished in Nazi death camps. As a pilgrim
, this was his seventh foreign trip in two years.
from April 15 to April 20, 2008. His journey included meetings with then President
George W. Bush
, an address to the United Nations General Assembly
, Masses at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
and Yankee Stadium in New York City
, and a visit to Ground Zero
in New York, among other activities.
in Sydney
. He celebrated an open-air Closing Mass with the participants at Randwick Racecourse
on July 20. To adjust for the time difference, Benedict XVI rested for three days in an undisclosed location in Australia
before beginning official engagements.
's St. Mary's Cathedral
, Pope Benedict XVI
made a historic full apology for child sex abuse by court sentenced 107 predatory Catholic
priests, inter alia, and clergymen in Australia
, on July 19, 2008. Before a 3,400 audience, he called for compensation and demanded punishment for those guilty of the "evil": "Here I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country. I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them that, as their pastor, I too share in their suffering." The Pope added: "Victims should receive compassion and care, and those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice. These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation. I ask all of you to support and assist your bishops, and to work together with them in combating this evil. It is an urgent priority to promote a safer and more wholesome environment, especially for young people."
, meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy
, before travelling to Lourdes
in Southwest France
to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary there. At an outdoor Paris
Mass attended by 250,000 people, he condemned modern materialism
- the world's love of power, possessions and money as a modern-day plague, comparing it to "paganism
": "Has not our modern world created its own idols? Has it not imitated, perhaps inadvertently, the pagans of antiquity, by diverting man from his true end, from the joy of living eternally with God? This is a question that all people, if they are honest with themselves, cannot help but ask."
in the spring of 2009. The pope opened a meeting of the African Bishops' Conference in Cameroon
. The pope drew criticism for suggesting that condoms were not the answer to Africa's AIDS
crisis, but rather, sexual behavior. He then travelled to Angola
to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Catholic presence there. During a March 21 mass, the pope urged Catholics to reach out and convert believers in sorcery
.
During a youth event that day, two women were crushed to death in a stampede.
, Jordan
on 8 May, embarking on his tour of Jordan
, Israel
, and the Palestinian Territories
. During his visit, the pope condemned Holocaust denial
s, and called for cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis. After the pope spoke in Jerusalem, Taysir Tamimi, chief of Muslim Sharia courts in the West Bank and Gaza, commandeered the microphone and began to criticize Israel in Arabic. While in the Palestinian Territories
, the pope offered a monumental bas-relief of the Tree of Jesse
sculpted by Czesław Dźwigaj for the Church of the Nativity
as a gift to the people of Bethlehem
.
Václav Klaus
to visit the country late September 2009 in relation to St Wenceslas Day.
announced on September 12, 2009 that there was a possibility that Pope Benedict XVI would visit Malta the following year in connection with the 1950th anniversary of the Shipwreck of St Paul on the Maltese islands.
On 10 February 2010, Archbishop of Malta Paul Cremona
confirmed the Pope's visit was scheduled for 17 and 18 April 2010. The main events during the Pope's visit were the Pope's meeting with The President of Malta and other dignitaries at the President's Palace, Valletta
. The Pope was greeted by the children gathered in front of the Palace. The Pope visited also St. Paul's grotto in Rabat, Malta
. On Sunday the Pope concelebrated Mass on the Floriana Granaries, Floriana, Malta. An unplanned meeting with victims of sex abuse in Malta was scheduled at the Papal Nuncio in Rabat. During the meeting, Pope Benedict XVI was reportedly reduced to tears.
In the afternoon, the Pope crossed the Grand Harbour
from Kalkara
to the Valletta Waterfront
, where he had a one hour meeting with the young generation. During this two-day visit the Pope travelled through various localities around the island.
said that Pope Benedict XVI will visit Portugal next year, "in response to the invitation addressed by the President." According to the page of the Presidency, "Beyond the official program, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will also go to the Marian Sanctuary of Fatima
, where he will preside over the religious ceremonies of May 13." The number of pilgrims attending the Pope's Mass in Fátima was estimated at 500,000.
and the Cypriot Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II at Paphos International Airport
. Pope Benedict XVI presented bishops of the Middle East with the Instrumentum laborious, or working document, of the Synod on the Middle East, which was opened the following October in the Vatican.
was extended by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the then Prime Minister
Gordon Brown
in February 2009. This official invitation makes this the first state visit by a Pope to the United Kingdom.
on November 6 for the occasion of Jacobeo Holy Year; and Barcelona
on November 7 to consecrate Sagrada Família
church. The trip was announced the previous March by the archbishops of the two cities, Lluís Cardinal Martínez Sistach
of Barcelona
and Archbishop Julián Barrio of Santiago.
4–5 June 2011. He traveled to Zagreb
and prayed at the tomb of Blessed Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac
. The Pope expressed support for Croatia's bid to join the European Union
.
in June 2011.
for World Youth Day 2011
. He gave a speech during the welcoming ceremony August 18 at Madrid Barajas International Airport
. After that, he spoke at the welcoming celebration for his meeting with young people at Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles
. More than 100 groups opposed to the Pope's visit protested the financing of it with public money during a time of government budget cuts. The Pope's first event on August 19 was a visit with women religious at the Patio de los Reyes de El Escorial in Madrid. Afterwards, he met with young university professors gathered at the Basilica de San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Later that day, he attended the Way of the Cross with the young people at the Plaza de Cibeles. On August 20, he celebrated Mass with seminarians at the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena. Then, he visited the Fundacion Instituto San Jose. The final event of the day was a prayer vigil with young people at Madrid Cuatro Vientos Airport. The next day, August 21, he celebrated the closing Mass with the Cardinals and Bishops and priests. After the Mass, he recited the Angelus at Madrid Cuatro Vientos Airport, and then will meet with the volunteers at Pavilion 9 of the new Fair of Madrid-IFEMA. Then, he departed Madrid for the Vatican from Madrid Barajas International Airport after giving a speech during the farewell ceremony.
, along with the Erfurt diocese
in eastern Germany and the Freiburg archdiocese in the country's southwest. This was Pope Benedict's first state visit
to his native country as Pope, his first visit as Pope to Berlin, and his third visit overall to his native country as Pope. The Pope departed from Rome's Ciampino International Airport at 8:15 A.M. on Thursday, September 22, landing at Berlin's Tegel International Airport at 10:30 A.M. The welcome ceremony and the courtesy meeting with German President Christian Wulff
, took place at Bellevue Castle, the German president's official residence. The Pope then went on to the headquarters of the German Episcopal Conference in Berlin, where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
. In the afternoon, Benedict visited and gave a speech to the German Parliament, and then meet with members of the local Jewish community. At 6:30 P.M., he celebrated Mass in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. At 9:00 A.M. on Friday, September 23, the Holy Father met with representatives of the Muslim community at the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany's office, before traveling by plane to the city of Erfurt. There, he visited St. Mary's Cathedral, addressed representatives of the German Evangelical Church Council and participated in an ecumenical celebration. That afternoon he was taken by helicopter to the city of Etzelsbach where at 5:45 P.M. he was due to preside at Marian Vespers at the Wallfahrtskapelle. Following the celebration he will return to Erfurt. On the morning of Saturday, September 24, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at the Erfurt Domplatz before travelling by plane to the city of Freiburg im Breisgau where he made a visit to the local cathedral. During the afternoon he went to the local seminary where he met first with former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl
, then with representatives from the various divisions of the Orthodox Church, followed by the seminarians themselves and finally the Central Committee of German Catholics
(ZDK). At 7:00 P.M. he presided at a Prayer Vigil with young people at the Fair of Freiburg im Breisgau. At 10:00 A.M. on the following day, Sunday, September 25, he celebrated Mass and prayed the Angelus at the airport of Freiburg im Breisgau. Following Mass, the Holy Father had lunch with members of the German Episcopal Conference. At 4:20 P.M., he met with magistrates of the German Federal Constitutional Court, then with a group of Catholics active in the Church and society. Following the departure ceremony at Lahr Airport, the papal plane departed for the Vatican; it was expected to land at Ciampino International Airport at 8:45 P.M.
at the invitation of the Government and bishops of this country. On the second day of his visit to Benin, the Pope travelled to Ouidah
where he called for respect for traditional beliefs. The Pope called for reconciliation at a Mass held in the Friendship Stadium
in Cotonou
on the final day of the trip.
in early 2012, possibly to visit the ancient city of Ur
, the birthplace of Abraham
.
.
of World Youth Day in Madrid, the Pope announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in Rio de Janeiro
.
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
has been as active in visiting other countries
Papal travel
Papal travel outside Rome has been historically rare, and voluntary travel was non-existent for the first 500 years. Pope John Paul II undertook more pastoral trips than all his predecessors combined...
as his predecessor, John Paul II, was at the same age from 1999 to 2002.
Most of these trips involve the Pope giving speeches on issues that play an important role in the region that he visits, especially on education, contraceptives, abortion, and what it means to be Catholic.
Germany I (August 18 to August 21, 2005)
The Pope arrived in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on August 18 to participate in the 20th World Youth Day
World Youth Day 2005
The 20th World Youth Day 2005 was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, 2005 in Cologne, Germany. It was the first World Youth Day and foreign trip of Pope Benedict XVI, who joined the festival on August 18. This meeting was decided by the previous...
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. There he met with President Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was President of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties, the CDU and the CSU, and the liberal FDP, Köhler was elected to his first five-year term by the Federal Assembly on...
, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor...
, Leader of the Opposition Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
and others, and visited the famous Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral
Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site...
. The Pope visited the synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
of the Jewish community in Cologne, which is the oldest Jewish community in the world north of the Alps. Benedict and his immediate predecessor John Paul II are the only two popes since St. Peter known to have visited a synagogue. He also spoke with representatives of the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
and Protestant communities of Cologne. On August 21, he led a Mass at Marienfeld
Marienfeld
Marienfeld is a large grassy field on the reclaimed site of a former open-pit lignite mine about south-west of Cologne Cathedral in the city of Cologne, Germany, straddling the towns of Frechen and Kerpen...
.
Poland (May 25 to May 28, 2006)
The Pope began his visit just after 11 a.m. on May 25, landing at the Okęcie Military AirportWarsaw Frederic Chopin Airport
Warsaw Chopin Airport is an international airport located in the Włochy district of Warsaw, Poland. Poland's busiest airport, Warsaw Chopin handles just under 50% of the country's air passenger traffic....
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. Throughout his visit, he often spoke a few sentences of Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
, which he had learned phonetically. After a welcoming ceremony, Benedict drove in his popemobile to St. John's Cathedral, where he met and addressed a thousand clergymen. He also paid an official visit to the Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace, Warsaw
The Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, is the elegant classicist latest version of a building that has stood on the Krakowskie Przedmieście site since 1643. Over the years, it has been rebuilt and remodeled many times...
and later that day attended a meeting of leaders of various religions. The Pope celebrated an open-air Mass on Piłsudski Square in Warsaw on May 26, visited the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa
Czestochowa
Częstochowa is a city in south Poland on the Warta River with 240,027 inhabitants . It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since 1999, and was previously the capital of Częstochowa Voivodeship...
and arrived in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. On May 27 the pontiff went to Wadowice
Wadowice
Wadowice is a town in southern Poland, 50 km from Kraków with 19,200 inhabitants , situated on the Skawa river, confluence of Vistula, in the eastern part of Silesian Plateau...
, the birthplace of his predecessor, the sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska is a town in southern Poland with 4,429 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship ; previously it was in the Bielsko-Biała Voivodeship ....
, the Shrine of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy
The Divine Mercy is a Roman Catholic devotion to the merciful love of God and the desire to let that love and mercy flow through one's own heart towards those in need of it...
in Łagiewniki and the Wawel Cathedral
Wawel Cathedral
The Wawel Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Stanisław and Vaclav, is a church located on Wawel Hill in Kraków–Poland's national sanctuary. It has a 1,000-year history and was the traditional coronation site of Polish monarchs. It is the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kraków...
and addressed young people gathered at Błonia park in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. On the last day of his visit on Sunday May 27, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at Błonia for about 900,000 pilgrims, and later that day prayed at the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Spain I (July 8 to July 9, 2006)
Pope Benedict visited SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
at the request of King Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
and the country's Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
s, in particular Valencia
Valencia (city in Spain)
Valencia or València is the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 809,267 in 2010. It is the 15th-most populous municipality in the European Union...
, for the Fifth World Meeting of Families. The closing mass was held at the City of Arts and Sciences in the city. The Archbishop of Valencia, Agustín García-Gasco Vicente
Agustín García-Gasco Vicente
Agustín García-Gasco y Vicente was a Spanish Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Valencia from 1992 to 2009, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Biography:...
also presided in the service and made a major address to the Pope and the gathering crowds.
Germany II (September 9 to September 14, 2006)
The Pope visited MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Altötting
Altötting
Altötting is a town in Bavaria, capital of the district Altötting.This small town is famous for the Gnadenkapelle , one of the most-visited shrines in Germany. This is a tiny octagonal chapel which keeps a venerated statue of the Virgin Mary...
, Marktl am Inn
Marktl am Inn
Marktl, or often unofficially called Marktl am Inn , is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. The most notable neighbouring town is Altötting...
, and Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, all in his home state Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. After his arrival Benedict XVI was welcomed at Munich Airport by Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
and President Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was President of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties, the CDU and the CSU, and the liberal FDP, Köhler was elected to his first five-year term by the Federal Assembly on...
. In the Popemobile
Popemobile
Popemobile is an informal name for the specially designed motor vehicles used by the pope during outdoor public appearances without having to employ the antiquated and often impractical sedia gestatoria. The Popemobile was designed to allow the pope to be more visible when greeting large crowds...
he was driven through the city of Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
where he was the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
from 1977 to 1982. He said a prayer on Marienplatz
Marienplatz
Marienplatz is a central square in the city center of Munich, Germany. It has been the city's main square since 1158.-Architecture:...
, the same ritual which he did before he was called to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. More than half a million people joined the outdoor masses which were held in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
and Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
. The Pope visited Marktl am Inn
Marktl am Inn
Marktl, or often unofficially called Marktl am Inn , is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. The most notable neighbouring town is Altötting...
were he was born and baptized. He also spent one day with his elder brother, Monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
Georg Ratzinger
Georg Ratzinger
Georg Ratzinger, PA is a German Catholic priest and musician, known for his work as the conductor of the Regensburger Domspatzen, the cathedral choir of Regensburg, Germany. He is the elder brother of Pope Benedict XVI...
. They visited their parents' grave and spent the rest of the day at Benedict's former residence, a house still owned by the pope, in a suburb of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
.
Turkey (November 28 to December 1, 2006)
Invited by Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople to IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, the Pope visited Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. His visit to an overwhelmingly Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
nation two months after his visit to Bavaria, Germany was initially overshadowed by the controversy about a lecture he had given at Regensburg
Pope Benedict XVI Islam controversy
The Regensburg lecture was delivered on 12 September 2006 by Pope Benedict XVI at the University of Regensburg in Germany, where he had once served as a professor of theology. It was entitled "Glaube, Vernunft und Universität — Erinnerungen und Reflexionen"...
. His visit was met by nationalist and Islamic protesters and was placed under unprecedented security measures.
Arriving on November 28 at Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
's Esenboğa International Airport
Esenboga International Airport
Esenboğa International Airport , is an airport located northeast of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It has been operating since 1955. The name of the airport comes from the village of Esenboğa , which literally means "flying bull"....
, the Pope was welcomed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...
, who was leaving for a NATO summit meeting. Later, Benedict visited the Atatürk mausoleum
Anitkabir
Anıtkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey...
, met with President
President of Turkey
The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office but has some important functions...
Ahmet Necdet Sezer
Ahmet Necdet Sezer
- External links :* , Presidency of the Republic of Turkey...
, held talks with Ali Bardakoğlu
Ali Bardakoglu
Ali Bardakoğlu is the former president of Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı and as such the highest Islamic authority in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.-Background:...
, President of the Religious Affairs
Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi
In Turkey, the Presidency of Religious Affairs is an official institution established in 1924 after the abolition of the caliphate. Founded by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey as a successor to Sheikh ul-Islam, it represents the highest Islamic religious authority in the country...
, and received ambassadors at the Vatican Embassy in Ankara.
On November 29, 2006, the Pope visited the House of the Virgin Mary
House of the Virgin Mary
The House of the Virgin Mary is a Christian and Muslim shrine located on Mt...
at Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
, where he conducted an open-air Mass. At Istanbul, he prayed with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, before holding private talks. Benedict has stated that a key goal of his papacy will be healing the long-lasting schism
East-West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
between the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Churches.
Saint Andrew
Saint Andrew , called in the Orthodox tradition Prōtoklētos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the brother of Saint Peter. The name "Andrew" , like other Greek names, appears to have been common among the Jews from the 3rd or 2nd century BC. No Hebrew or Aramaic name is recorded for him...
's Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
, the primary purpose of his long-planned journey, symbolized his seeking of reconciliation between the Western
Latin liturgical rites
Latin liturgical rites used within that area of the Catholic Church where the Latin language once dominated were for many centuries no less numerous than the liturgical rites of the Eastern autonomous particular Churches. Their number is now much reduced...
and Eastern
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises the Christian traditions and churches that developed in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, Northeastern Africa, India and parts of the Far East over several centuries of religious antiquity. The term is generally used in Western Christianity to...
rites of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Giving a message for the unity of the two Churches, both leaders signed a joint declaration.
Next, the Pope visited Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
, originally the greatest church of Orthodox Christianity subsequently converted into a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
and a museum. He then visited the Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire . The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior....
.
The Pope then held talks with Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan of Constantinople
Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan of Constantinople
Archbishop Mesrob II Mutafyan, also known as Mesrop Mutafyan, is the 84th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople...
and Patriarchal Vicar
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin
Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin
Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin is a Turkish Christian religious leader who has been serving since 1986 as the Patriarchal Vicar of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Istanbul and Ankara....
, heads of Turkey's Armenian
Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople
The Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople also known as Armenian Patriarch of Istanbul is today head of The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople , one of the smallest Patriarchates of the Oriental Orthodox Church but one that has exerted a very significant political role and today still exercises...
and the Assyrian
Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East ʻIttā Qaddishtā w-Shlikhāitā Qattoliqi d-Madnĕkhā d-Āturāyē), is a Syriac Church historically centered in Mesopotamia. It is one of the churches that claim continuity with the historical...
communities respectively. Benedict also met with Ishak Haleva
Ishak Haleva
Ishak Haleva is the current Hakham Bashi of Turkey. Chief Rabbi Haleva was the deputy to David Asseo for seven years and became the new Hakham Bashi after his death in 2002.-See also:*History of the Jews in Turkey...
, Hakham Bashi
Hakham Bashi
Hakham Bashi is the Turkish name for the Chief Rabbi of the nation's Jewish community.-History:The institution of the Hakham Bashi was established by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II, as part of the millet system for governing exceedingly diverse subjects according to their own laws and authorities...
(Chief Rabbi) of Turkey's Sephardic Jews.
On December 1, the Pontiff wrapped up his trip by visiting the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
Holy Spirit Cathedral
St. Esprit Cathedral, Istanbul
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, alternatively known as the St. Esprit Cathedral, Italian: Cattedrale di Santo Spirito, or Cattedrale dello Spirito Santo, located on Cumhuriyet Avenue, 205/B, Harbiye, between Taksim Square and Nişantaşı, is one of the principal churches of the Catholic Church in...
. After releasing white doves symbolizing peace and revealing a statue of Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV
Pope Benedict XV , born Giacomo Paolo Giovanni Battista della Chiesa, reigned as Pope from 3 September 1914 to 22 January 1922...
, he celebrated Mass in the cathedral. In his farewell speech at Istanbul Atatürk Airport
Atatürk International Airport
Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
, the Pope said "a part of my heart remains in Istanbul".
Brazil (May 9 to May 13, 2007)
In BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, the Pope visited the sanctuary of Aparecida
Aparecida
Aparecida is a Brazilian city and municipality in the state of São Paulo. It is located in the fertile valley of the River Paraíba do Sul on the southern bank. The population in 2004 was 35,754 and the area of the municipality is 121.232 km²...
and the city of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
. He used his travel to Brazil to criticize Mexican lawmakers
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
who legalized abortion. However, the Pope made sure that, although he agreed with Bishops who claimed that politicians in Mexico "excommunicated themselves", there would be no formal excommunication of those individuals.
In Aparecida he addressed the Latin American Bishops' Conference. During his speech, the Pope condemned abortion and the use of contraceptives. He also condemned the negatives of capitalism and also Marxism for its destructive effects on economies, government, and religion. He also said that it is important to prevent Catholics from turning to Protestant religions, and to instead reinvigorate their connection to the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict XVI canonised Friar Antônio Galvão, a Franciscan who lived in the 18th century, at a festive mass before hundreds of thousands of people in São Paulo.
Austria (September 7 to September 9, 2007)
On September 7, 2007, Pope Benedict arrived at Vienna International AirportVienna International Airport
Vienna International Airport , located in Schwechat and southeast of central Vienna, is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is often referred to as Schwechat, the name of the county it is in. The airport is capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340...
at 11:15 a.m., where he was greeted by Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
's President Heinz Fischer
Heinz Fischer
Heinz Fischer GColIH is the President of Austria. He took office on 8 July 2004 and was re-elected for a second and last term on 25 April 2010. Before he took office, Fischer was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Austria...
and Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Christoph Schönborn. The visit was labelled as a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
to Austria's national shrine at Mariazell Basilica
Mariazell Basilica
The Mariazell Basilica is a Marian basilica in Mariazell, Austria. It is the most important pilgrimage destination in Austria and one of the most visited shrines in Europe...
. During his three-day visit, he also visited Heiligenkreuz Abbey
Heiligenkreuz Abbey
Heiligenkreuz Abbey is a Cistercian monastery in the village of Heiligenkreuz in the southern part of the Vienna woods, c. 13 km north-west of Baden in Lower Austria...
and joined Vienna's chief rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
to the 65,000 Viennese Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
who perished in Nazi death camps. As a pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
, this was his seventh foreign trip in two years.
United States (April 15 to April 20, 2008)
The Pope visited the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from April 15 to April 20, 2008. His journey included meetings with then President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, an address to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
, Masses at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Yankee Stadium in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and a visit to Ground Zero
World Trade Center site
The World Trade Center site , also known as "Ground Zero" after the September 11 attacks, sits on in Lower Manhattan in New York City...
in New York, among other activities.
Australia (July 13 to July 21, 2008)
The Pope met with the young people of the world at World Youth Day 2008World Youth Day 2008
The 23rd World Youth Day 2008 was a Catholic youth festival that started on 15 July and continued until 20 July 2008 in Sydney, Australia. It was the first World Youth Day held in Australia and the first World Youth Day in Oceania. This meeting was decided by Pope Benedict XVI, during the Cologne...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He celebrated an open-air Closing Mass with the participants at Randwick Racecourse
Randwick Racecourse
Royal Randwick Racecourse is a racecourse for horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, New South Wales. Randwick Racecourse, is operated by the Australian Jockey Club and known to many Sydney racegoers as headquarters...
on July 20. To adjust for the time difference, Benedict XVI rested for three days in an undisclosed location in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
before beginning official engagements.
Historic apology
In SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral, or St. Mary Cathedral or Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin, or other variations on the name, may refer to:-Canada:* St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary* St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston* St. Mary's Cathedral, Winnipeg-Ireland:...
, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
made a historic full apology for child sex abuse by court sentenced 107 predatory Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priests, inter alia, and clergymen in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, on July 19, 2008. Before a 3,400 audience, he called for compensation and demanded punishment for those guilty of the "evil": "Here I would like to pause to acknowledge the shame which we have all felt as a result of the sexual abuse of minors by some clergy and religious in this country. I am deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the victims have endured and I assure them that, as their pastor, I too share in their suffering." The Pope added: "Victims should receive compassion and care, and those responsible for these evils must be brought to justice. These misdeeds, which constitute so grave a betrayal of trust, deserve unequivocal condemnation. I ask all of you to support and assist your bishops, and to work together with them in combating this evil. It is an urgent priority to promote a safer and more wholesome environment, especially for young people."
France (September 12 to September 15, 2008)
Pope Benedict visited ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
, before travelling to Lourdes
Lourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
in Southwest France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary there. At an outdoor Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Mass attended by 250,000 people, he condemned modern materialism
Materialism
In philosophy, the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance...
- the world's love of power, possessions and money as a modern-day plague, comparing it to "paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
": "Has not our modern world created its own idols? Has it not imitated, perhaps inadvertently, the pagans of antiquity, by diverting man from his true end, from the joy of living eternally with God? This is a question that all people, if they are honest with themselves, cannot help but ask."
Cameroon and Angola (March 17 to March 23, 2009)
Pope Benedict announced at the closing of a synod of bishops in October 2008 that he would travel to AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
in the spring of 2009. The pope opened a meeting of the African Bishops' Conference in Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
. The pope drew criticism for suggesting that condoms were not the answer to Africa's AIDS
HIV/AIDS in Africa
HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern and cause of death in Africa. Although Africa is home to about 14.5% of the world's population, it is estimated to be home to 67% of all people living with HIV and to 72% of all AIDS deaths in 2009.-Overview:...
crisis, but rather, sexual behavior. He then travelled to Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Catholic presence there. During a March 21 mass, the pope urged Catholics to reach out and convert believers in sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
.
During a youth event that day, two women were crushed to death in a stampede.
Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Territories (May 8 to May 15, 2009)
The pope arrived in AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
on 8 May, embarking on his tour of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
. During his visit, the pope condemned Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
s, and called for cooperation between the Palestinians and Israelis. After the pope spoke in Jerusalem, Taysir Tamimi, chief of Muslim Sharia courts in the West Bank and Gaza, commandeered the microphone and began to criticize Israel in Arabic. While in the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, the pope offered a monumental bas-relief of the Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...
sculpted by Czesław Dźwigaj for the Church of the Nativity
Church of the Nativity
The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is one of the oldest continuously operating churches in the world. The structure is built over the cave that tradition marks as the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth, and thus it is considered sacred by Christians...
as a gift to the people of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
.
Czech Republic (September 26 to September 28, 2009)
Pope Benedict XVI accepted an invitation of Czech bishops and the president of the Czech RepublicCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus
Václav Klaus is the second President of the Czech Republic and a former Prime Minister .An economist, he is co-founder of the Civic Democratic Party, the Czech Republic's largest center-right political party. Klaus is a eurosceptic, but he reluctantly endorsed the Lisbon treaty as president of...
to visit the country late September 2009 in relation to St Wenceslas Day.
Malta (April 17 to April 18, 2010)
Archishop's Curia in MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
announced on September 12, 2009 that there was a possibility that Pope Benedict XVI would visit Malta the following year in connection with the 1950th anniversary of the Shipwreck of St Paul on the Maltese islands.
On 10 February 2010, Archbishop of Malta Paul Cremona
Paul Cremona
Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. is the 11th Archbishop of Malta and a Dominican friar. In Maltese his full name and style is: Monsinjur Pietru Pawlu Cremona. He was ordained to the episcopate and installed as Archbishop of Malta on 26 January 2007, the day after his 61st birthday.-Family life:Paul...
confirmed the Pope's visit was scheduled for 17 and 18 April 2010. The main events during the Pope's visit were the Pope's meeting with The President of Malta and other dignitaries at the President's Palace, Valletta
Valletta
Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...
. The Pope was greeted by the children gathered in front of the Palace. The Pope visited also St. Paul's grotto in Rabat, Malta
Rabat, Malta
Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...
. On Sunday the Pope concelebrated Mass on the Floriana Granaries, Floriana, Malta. An unplanned meeting with victims of sex abuse in Malta was scheduled at the Papal Nuncio in Rabat. During the meeting, Pope Benedict XVI was reportedly reduced to tears.
In the afternoon, the Pope crossed the Grand Harbour
Grand Harbour
Grand Harbour is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been used as a harbour since at least Phoenician times...
from Kalkara
Kalkara
Il-Kalkara is a small picturesque village in Malta, with a population of 2,856 . The name is derived from the Latin word for lime , and it is believed that there was a lime kiln present there since Roman times. Kalkara forms part of the inner harbour area and occupies the area around Kalkara Creek...
to the Valletta Waterfront
Valletta Waterfront
The Valletta Waterfront, in Floriana, Malta, is baroque wharf built by Manuel Pinto de Fonseca in the 18th century. It has been thoroughly renovated by a private consortium who run the Waterfront and offer management overseeing for Malta's cruise liner business...
, where he had a one hour meeting with the young generation. During this two-day visit the Pope travelled through various localities around the island.
Portugal (May 11 to May 14, 2010)
The news was announced on the Web site of the Presidency. The statement from the press service of Aníbal Cavaco SilvaAníbal Cavaco Silva
Aníbal António Cavaco Silva, GCC , is the President of Portugal. He won the Portuguese presidential election on 22 January 2006 and was re-elected on 23 January 2011, for a second five-year term. Cavaco Silva was sworn in on 9 March 2006....
said that Pope Benedict XVI will visit Portugal next year, "in response to the invitation addressed by the President." According to the page of the Presidency, "Beyond the official program, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will also go to the Marian Sanctuary of Fatima
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima is a Roman Catholic Marian basilica in Fátima, Portugal...
, where he will preside over the religious ceremonies of May 13." The number of pilgrims attending the Pope's Mass in Fátima was estimated at 500,000.
Cyprus (June 4 to June 6, 2010)
Pope Benedict XVI was welcomed by President Dimitris ChristofiasDimitris Christofias
Dimitris Christofias also Demetris is a left-wing Greek Cypriot politician and the current and sixth President of the Republic of Cyprus. Christofias was the General Secretary of AKEL and is Cyprus's first, and the European Union's first and so far only, communist head of state. He won the 2008...
and the Cypriot Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II at Paphos International Airport
Paphos International Airport
-Public transport:A bus serviceis available from the airport to Karavella station in Paphos where one may change bus to other destinations in the island. Information regarding these buses is available at .-External links:*...
. Pope Benedict XVI presented bishops of the Middle East with the Instrumentum laborious, or working document, of the Synod on the Middle East, which was opened the following October in the Vatican.
United Kingdom (September 16 to September 19, 2010)
An invitation to visit United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was extended by Her Majesty The Queen on the advice of the then Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in February 2009. This official invitation makes this the first state visit by a Pope to the United Kingdom.
Spain II (November 6 to November 7, 2010)
Pope Benedict XVI visited two cities in Spain in November: Santiago de CompostelaSantiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
on November 6 for the occasion of Jacobeo Holy Year; and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
on November 7 to consecrate Sagrada Família
Sagrada Familia
The ' , commonly known as the Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí...
church. The trip was announced the previous March by the archbishops of the two cities, Lluís Cardinal Martínez Sistach
Lluís Martínez Sistach
Lluís Cardinal Martínez Sistach is the current Archbishop of Barcelona.Martínez Sistach is the son of Juan Martínez Puig, a commercial representative, and María Sistach Masllorens, a housewife; they had three children, two girls and Lluís; they resided in the neighborhood of Guinardó, where his...
of Barcelona
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Barcelona
The Archdiocese of Barcelona is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in southeastern Spain and the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of Barcelona which includes the suffragan dioceses of Sant Feliu de Llobregat and Terrassa....
and Archbishop Julián Barrio of Santiago.
Croatia (June 4 to June 5, 2011)
Pope Benedict XVI visited CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
4–5 June 2011. He traveled to Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
and prayed at the tomb of Blessed Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Viktor Stepinac , also known as Blessed Aloysius Stepinac, was a Croatian Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 to 1960. In 1998 he was declared a martyr and beatified by Pope John Paul II....
. The Pope expressed support for Croatia's bid to join the European Union
Accession of Croatia to the European Union
Croatia applied for European Union membership in 2003, and the European Commission recommended making it an official candidate in early 2004. Candidate country status was granted to Croatia by the European Council in mid-2004...
.
San Marino (June 19, 2011)
The Vatican has announced that the Pope will make an apostolic visit to the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro in San MarinoSan Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
in June 2011.
Spain III (August 18 to August 21, 2011)
Pope Benedict visited MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
for World Youth Day 2011
World Youth Day 2011
World Youth Day 2011 was the 2011 occurrence of World Youth Day, a Catholic event held from August 16-21, 2011 in Madrid, Spain focused on youth...
. He gave a speech during the welcoming ceremony August 18 at Madrid Barajas International Airport
Madrid Barajas International Airport
Madrid-Barajas Airport is the main international airport serving Madrid in Spain. In 2010, over 49.8 million passengers used Madrid-Barajas, making it the country's largest and busiest airport, and in 2009 it was the world's 11th busiest airport and Europe's fourth busiest airport. It opened...
. After that, he spoke at the welcoming celebration for his meeting with young people at Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles
Plaza de Cibeles
The Plaza de Cibeles is a square with a neo-classical complex of marble sculptures with fountains that has become an iconic symbol for the city of Madrid.-Cibeles Fountain:...
. More than 100 groups opposed to the Pope's visit protested the financing of it with public money during a time of government budget cuts. The Pope's first event on August 19 was a visit with women religious at the Patio de los Reyes de El Escorial in Madrid. Afterwards, he met with young university professors gathered at the Basilica de San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Later that day, he attended the Way of the Cross with the young people at the Plaza de Cibeles. On August 20, he celebrated Mass with seminarians at the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena. Then, he visited the Fundacion Instituto San Jose. The final event of the day was a prayer vigil with young people at Madrid Cuatro Vientos Airport. The next day, August 21, he celebrated the closing Mass with the Cardinals and Bishops and priests. After the Mass, he recited the Angelus at Madrid Cuatro Vientos Airport, and then will meet with the volunteers at Pavilion 9 of the new Fair of Madrid-IFEMA. Then, he departed Madrid for the Vatican from Madrid Barajas International Airport after giving a speech during the farewell ceremony.
Germany III (September 22 to September 25, 2011)
Benedict visited BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, along with the Erfurt diocese
Roman Catholic Diocese of Erfurt
The Diocese of Erfurt is a diocese of the Catholic church in Germany. The diocese was erected in 1973 as the apostolic administration of Erfurt-Meiningen, and was elevated in 1994 to the current diocese of Erfurt...
in eastern Germany and the Freiburg archdiocese in the country's southwest. This was Pope Benedict's first state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
to his native country as Pope, his first visit as Pope to Berlin, and his third visit overall to his native country as Pope. The Pope departed from Rome's Ciampino International Airport at 8:15 A.M. on Thursday, September 22, landing at Berlin's Tegel International Airport at 10:30 A.M. The welcome ceremony and the courtesy meeting with German President Christian Wulff
Christian Wulff
Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff is the President of Germany and a politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was elected President on 2010 and publicly swore the oath of office on . A lawyer by profession, he served as Premier of the state of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010.-Early life and...
, took place at Bellevue Castle, the German president's official residence. The Pope then went on to the headquarters of the German Episcopal Conference in Berlin, where he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
. In the afternoon, Benedict visited and gave a speech to the German Parliament, and then meet with members of the local Jewish community. At 6:30 P.M., he celebrated Mass in the Berlin Olympic Stadium. At 9:00 A.M. on Friday, September 23, the Holy Father met with representatives of the Muslim community at the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany's office, before traveling by plane to the city of Erfurt. There, he visited St. Mary's Cathedral, addressed representatives of the German Evangelical Church Council and participated in an ecumenical celebration. That afternoon he was taken by helicopter to the city of Etzelsbach where at 5:45 P.M. he was due to preside at Marian Vespers at the Wallfahrtskapelle. Following the celebration he will return to Erfurt. On the morning of Saturday, September 24, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at the Erfurt Domplatz before travelling by plane to the city of Freiburg im Breisgau where he made a visit to the local cathedral. During the afternoon he went to the local seminary where he met first with former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
, then with representatives from the various divisions of the Orthodox Church, followed by the seminarians themselves and finally the Central Committee of German Catholics
Central Committee of German Catholics
The Central Committee of German Catholics is lay body comprising representatives of various Catholic organisations in Germany. They organise the Catholic Days in Germany. The organisation is headquartered in Bonn....
(ZDK). At 7:00 P.M. he presided at a Prayer Vigil with young people at the Fair of Freiburg im Breisgau. At 10:00 A.M. on the following day, Sunday, September 25, he celebrated Mass and prayed the Angelus at the airport of Freiburg im Breisgau. Following Mass, the Holy Father had lunch with members of the German Episcopal Conference. At 4:20 P.M., he met with magistrates of the German Federal Constitutional Court, then with a group of Catholics active in the Church and society. Following the departure ceremony at Lahr Airport, the papal plane departed for the Vatican; it was expected to land at Ciampino International Airport at 8:45 P.M.
Benin (November 18 to November 20, 2011)
Benedict XVI visited BeninBenin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
at the invitation of the Government and bishops of this country. On the second day of his visit to Benin, the Pope travelled to Ouidah
Ouidah
Ouidah , also Whydah or Juda, is a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin.The commune covers an area of 364 square kilometres and as of 2002 had a population of 76,555 people.-History:...
where he called for respect for traditional beliefs. The Pope called for reconciliation at a Mass held in the Friendship Stadium
Stade de l'Amitié
Stade de l'Amitie or Friendship Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Cotonou, Benin. It is currently used for football matches and also has facilities for athletics. The stadium has a capacity of 35,000 people.-External links:* at...
in Cotonou
Cotonou
-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
on the final day of the trip.
Iraq (early 2012?)
The Pope may travel to IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in early 2012, possibly to visit the ancient city of Ur
Ur
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
, the birthplace of Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
.
Mexico and Cuba (2012)
The Pope is seriously exploring the possibility of visiting Mexico and Cuba in the Spring of 2012.Serbia (2013)
Possible meeting with the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church in SerbiaPatriarch Irinej of Serbia
Patriarch Irinej is the 45th Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Serbs, since 22 January 2010. His full title is His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovci, Serbian Patriarch Irinej...
.
Brazil (2013)
During the Pontifical MassPontifical High Mass
In the context of the Tridentine Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, a Pontifical High Mass, also called Solemn Pontifical Mass, is a Solemn or High Mass celebrated by a bishop using certain prescribed ceremonies. The term is also used among Anglo-Catholic Anglicans.-Origins:In the early Church,...
of World Youth Day in Madrid, the Pope announced that the next World Youth Day will take place in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
.
External links
- Official webpage from the Vatican: Apostolic Voyages to Italy with every speech from the pope
- Official webpage from the Vatican: Apostolic Voyages outside Italy with every speech from the pope
- Official webpage from the Vatican: Overview
- Official website for the Pope's visit in Croatia 2011
- Official website for the Pope's visit in Germany 2011