Pope Benedict expressed joy today to be in his native country and among hundreds of thousands of enthusiastic young Catholics, as he began the first international trip of his pontificate.
"With deep joy I find myself for the first time after my election to the chair of Saint Peter in my beloved homeland, in Germany," the pontiff said. "I thank God who has enabled me to begin my pastoral visits outside Italy with this visit to the nation of my birth."
Wind blows during the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI at Cologne airport yesterday. REUTERS/Michael Dalder
The Pope, who was elected in April, will spend four days in Cologne and end the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day jamboree with an open-air Mass on Sunday.
"Welcome home, welcome to Germany," German President Horst Koehler said.
Pope Benedict said travelled to Cologne for the 20th World Youth Day, attended by 400,000 youngsters, which was planned and prepared by his Polish-born predecessor John Paul.
"That so many people have come to meet the successor of Peter is a sign of the Church's vitality. I am happy to be with them, confirm their faith and enliven their hope," he said. "At the same time I am sure that I will also receive something from them, especially from their enthusiasm, their sensitivity, and their courage which will help encourage me in my role and to face the challenges of the future."
As he stepped out of his Alitalia jet, a gust of wind blew the Pope's white skullcap off and he turned around to look for it. He quickly gave up and proceeded down the stairs where German President Horst Koehler was waiting for him.
Benedict, who has promised doctrinal continuity with Pope John Paul without necessarily trying to match his popular gestures, did not kiss the ground on arrival as his charismatic predecessor used to do.
He was met with applause and chants of "Benedetto" - his name in Italian - by a small group of Italian and German youngsters waiting on the tarmac. The trip is a test for Benedict, a quiet intellectual making his debut leading the World Youth Days that John Paul launched in the 1980s and dominated like a superstar.
While in Germany Benedict will also meet Protestant, Muslim and Jewish leaders. Vatican experts will watch for signals of how he intends to develop relations with other faiths.
Pope Benedict
The pontiff will sail along the Rhine to Cologne's Gothic cathedral this afternoon. A drive through the city in the "Popemobile" will give him some crowd exposure before a giant closing mass on Sunday.
Vatican watchers are looking for signals on how the Pope intends to keep Catholics faithful to the Church and the relations he intends to forge with Jews, Protestants and Muslims, all of whom he will visit while in Germany.
They will also be listening for how Benedict handles topics such as pre-marital sex or allowing the use of condoms to fight Aids; the Pope opposes both.
Following the pattern set by his predecessor, the pontiff will hold meetings with young people and celebrate an open-air mass before returning to Rome.