Pope returns to homeland

Pope Benedict rejoiced yesterday at returning to his native Germany and said his welcome by hundreds of thousands of young Catholics showed the vitality of the Church on the first foreign trip of his papacy.

"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," Pope Benedict said after emerging from his aircraft.

German President Horst Koehler greeted him with: "Welcome home, welcome to Germany," as a small group of Italian and German youngsters waiting on the tarmac applauded and chanted "Benedetto" - the Pope's name in Italian.

Earlier Pope Benedict told journalists he felt "very moved" to be visiting his homeland and meeting the young pilgrims.

The Pope portrayed his trip as carrying on the legacy of the late Pope John Paul, whom he succeeded in April. He will spend four days in Cologne and end the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day festival with an open-air Mass on Sunday for the 400,000 participants.

"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."

The trip is a test for Pope Benedict, a quiet intellectual making his debut leading the World Youth Days that John Paul launched in the 1980s and dominated like a superstar. His visit includes similar highly staged events on a massive scale.

"Today it is my turn to take up this extraordinary spiritual legacy bequeathed to us by Pope John Paul II," Pope Benedict told crowds massed on both banks of the River Rhine as he sailed towards Cologne Cathedral in a boat festooned with flags.

"He loved you - you realised that and you returned his love with all your youthful enthusiasm. Now all of us together have to put his teaching into practice," he added.

As he stepped out of his Alitalia jet from Rome, a gust of wind blew off his white skullcap and he went on without it.

Pope Benedict, who has promised doctrinal continuity with the Polish-born John Paul without necessarily trying to match his popular gestures, did not kiss the ground on arrival as his charismatic predecessor used to do. In Germany, Pope 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.

"These meetings are important steps along the journey of dialogue and cooperation in our shared commitment to building a more just and fraternal future," Pope Benedict said on arrival.

Flag-waving youths lined the banks of the Rhine as the Pope passed by in the late afternoon on a river cruiser, some standing waist-deep in the river to cheer him.

The event's symbol, a wooden cross about four metres high that has been carried by pilgrims since the 2000 World Youth Day in Rome, was blown over by a gust of wind and broken before the Pope arrived at the boat, but workmen repaired it.

Both the Pontiff and Mr Koehler made frequent reference to Germany, its historical role and the work of the German church.

"It is particularly moving, and I can say this also as a Protestant Christian, that a German - one of us - has been made Pope," Mr Koehler said, adding that it was viewed worldwide as a sign of reconciliation.