Bavarians come to Rome for Papal celebration

Pope Benedict XVI on Friday evening was scheduled to be attending a celebration of Bavarian culture at the Papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo. Nearly one-thousand Bavarian pilgrims took a train from the Pope’s homeland of Bavaria to help mark his 85th birthday, which was celebrated on April 16th. They included several groups of traditional bands and dancers, all dressed in traditional Bavarian costume. The group was led by the Archbishop of Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx.

From the beginning they had hoped to get a large group together from all over the diocese,” he told Vatican Radio. “When the Holy Father accepted the gift [of the Bavarian cultural celebration], and requested it take place in the summer, it became clear that many people could attend, and the response has been beautiful.”

The participants represent different aspects of Bavarian culture.

“The idea was to provide a musical journey home, and that the different musical and dance traditions from the different regions of Old Bavaria be represented,” said Armin Wouters, the Communications Director for the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising.

The pilgrims are scheduled attend Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday, and then visit some of the famous sites of Rome.

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