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.