” “"Today I am for the very first time, since my election to Saint Peter’s Chair, in my beloved homeland, Germany". These are the first words of the greeting (full text on old.agensir.it, "WYD SESSION") that the Pope sent to the President of the German Federal Republic, Horst Köhler, as he landed at the airport of Cologne-Bonn.
"Even if I am a Protestant Köhler had said a little while earlier I can say we are very moved by the fact a German man, one of us, has become the Pope". After thanking for the welcome, the Pope immediately turned his attention to the World Youth Day, "the meeting of so many young people with Peter’s successor he stated is a sign of the liveliness of the Church. I am happy to be with young people, to support their faith, to liven up their hopes. At the same time, I am certain I will also receive something from the young, especially from their enthusiasm, their sensitivity and their willingness to face the challenges of the future". (to be continued)
