‘I have just been "Dahoam" (at home)’, Pope says to Bavarians artists

August 04, 2012: Bavaria, Pope’s homeland in Germany, was transported to the Papal Summer Residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on Friday evening as over 1,000 pilgrims from the German “Land” descended on to bring a little bit of home to Pope Benedict XVI. Bavaria’s iconic horn blowers, famed Alpine choirs, dancers, artists and poets staged a spectacular Bavarian Hour in honour of Pope’s 85^th birthday.
In thanking the men and women and their children in their colourful “lederhosen” and summer dresses, Pope Benedict told them their folksong and the sound of the Bavarian language had taken him back to his homeland again.
The Bavarian culture he said is neither “rude” nor “rowdy”, but imbued with an innate joy born of the Bavarian people’s inner yes to God and his creation. ‘It is true, we have to admit that God has made this easy for us in Bavaria: he has given us a world, a land so beautiful, that it is easy to recognize that God is good and be happy’, the Pope added.
Some might question our happiness – he continued –while the world is so full of suffering. But the Pope added - saying 'no' to joy benefits no-one, it only makes the world darker. Those who do not love cannot give love to their fellow man, cannot help them, cannot be a messenger of peace.

The pilgrims included several groups of traditional bands and dancers, all dressed in traditional Bavarian costume. They came from Bavaria’s valleys and its mountain passes from its hamlets and industrious cities led by their Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, Cardinal Reinhard Marx.

Pope Benedict asked the people of his homeland to try to bring this joy to others, to reject evil and to be servants of peace and reconciliation. On a more personal note the Pontiff also revealed that he was an honorary “Schütze” or rifleman – though he also confessed to having been a “pretty mediocre” one.

The Pontiff thanked Cardinal Wetter, Pope Benedict’s first successor to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, ‘for having organized this "hour", of having transported Bavaria to Rome and for having made tangible the inner unity of Christian culture.’