Pope Arrives Early for World Youth Day

Pope Benedict XVI departed from Leonardo da Vinci Fiumicino Airport in Rome in the morning of July 12, 2008, and landed at the Darwin/Royal Australian Air Force air base in Australia's Northern Teritory in the morning of July 13, two days ahead of the opening of World Youth Day in Australia.

After a brief stopover, the Pope then flew out of Darwin for his flight to Sydney and landed at Sydney's Richmond RAAF Military Air Base airport just after 3pm local time.

He was officially welcomed to Australia by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and by other government and church dignitaries including Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney.

The Pope was then driven by car to private residence at Kenthurst Study Centre on Sydney's northwestern outskirts until a private Mass in a chapel at St Mary's Cathedral House in the morning of July 17, followed by a welcome ceremony in Sydney's Goverment House.

At the climax of the six-day World Youth Day celebrations, Pope Benedict officiated at the Papal Mass on July 20 at Royal Randwick Racecourse with an estimated crowd of some 400,000 worshippers in attendance.

• World Youth Day Comes to Sydney

Photo: Pope Benedict XVI arriving at Sydney's Richmond RAAF Military Air Base airport on July 13, 2008 © WYD 2008