List of pastoral visits of Pope Benedict XVI

Map of countries visited by Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI has not been as active in visiting other countries as his predecessor, John Paul II, but has made several trips to foreign countries.

Italy (May 29, 2005)

Pope Benedict visited the Italian port of Bari and pledged to make the reconciliation with the Eastern Orthodox Church a "fundamental" commitment of his papacy. Benedict made the pledge in a city closely tied to the Orthodox Church. Bari, on Italy’s Adriatic coast, is considered a "bridge" between East and West and is home to the relics of St. Nicholas of Myra, a fourth century saint and the prototype of "Santa Claus," who is one of the most popular saints in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The Pope referred to Bari as a "land of meeting and dialog" with the Orthodox Church in his homily at a Mass that closed a national religious conference. It was his first pilgrimage outside Rome since being elected Pope on April 19. He visited Verona in October of 2006 for a meeting of the Italian Church.

World Youth Day in Cologne

North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany (August 18 to August 21, 2005)

The Pope arrived in Germany on August 18 in order to participate in the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne. There he met with President Horst Köhler, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Leader of the Opposition Angela Merkel and others, and visited the famous Cologne Cathedral. The Pope visited the synagogue of the Jewish community in Cologne, which is the oldest Jewish community in the world north of the Alps. Benedict and his immediate predecessor John Paul II are the only two popes since St. Peter known to have visited a synagogue. He also spoke with representatives of the Muslim and Protestant communities of Cologne. On August 21, he led a Mass at Marienfeld.

Benedict XVI on his arrival in Poland

Poland (May 25 to May 28, 2006)

The Pope began his visit just after 11 a.m. on May 25, landing at the Okęcie Military Airport in Warsaw. Throughout his visit, he often spoke a few sentences of Polish, which he had learned phonetically. After a welcoming ceremony, Benedict drove in his pope-mobile to Warsaw cathedral, where he met and addressed a thousand clergymen. He also paid an official visit to the Presidential Palace and later that day attended a meeting of leaders of various religions. The Pope celebrated an open-air Mass on Piłsudski Square in Warsaw on May 26, visited the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa and arrived in Kraków. On May 27 the pontiff went to Wadowice, the birthplace of his predecessor, the sanctuary in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Łagiewniki and the Wawel Cathedral and addressed young people gathered at Błonia park in Kraków. On the last day of his visit on Sunday May 27, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass at Błonia for about 900,000 pilgrims, and later that day briefly prayed at the former Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Spain (July 8 to July 9, 2006)

Pope Benedict visited Spain at the request of King Juan Carlos and the country's Catholic bishops, in particular Valencia, for the Fifth World Meeting of Families. The closing mass was held at the City of Arts and Sciences in the city. The Archbishop of Valencia, Agustin Garcia-Gasco also presided in the service and made a major address to the Pope and the gathering crowds.

Switzerland (July 19, 2006)

The Pope paid an unofficial visit to a Benedictine Monastery located in Great St Bernard Pass (Swiss Alps) during his summer holidays in Aosta Valley, Italy.

Bavaria, Germany (September 9 to September 14, 2006)

The Pope visited Munich, Altötting, Marktl am Inn, and Regensburg, all in his home state Bavaria. After his arrival Benedict XVI was welcomed at Munich Airport by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Horst Köhler. In the Popemobile he was driven through the city of Munich where he was the Archbishop from 1977 to 1982. He said a prayer on Marienplatz, the same ritual which he did before he was called to Rome by Pope John Paul II. More than half a million people joined the outdoor masses which were held in Munich and Regensburg. The Pope visited Marktl am Inn were he was born and baptized. He also spent one day with his elder brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger. They visited their parents' grave and spent the rest of the day at Benedict's former residence, a house still owned by the pope, in a suburb of Regensburg.

Turkey (November 28 to December 1, 2006)

Invited by Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople to Istanbul, the Pope visited Turkey. His visit to an overwhelmingly Muslim nation two months after his visit to Bavaria, Germany was initially overshadowed by the controversy about a lecture he had given at Regensburg. His visit was met by nationalist and Islamic protesters and was placed under unprecedented security measures.

Arriving on November 28 at Ankara's Esenboğa International Airport, the Pope was welcomed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was leaving for a NATO summit meeting. Later, Benedict visited the Atatürk mausoleum, met with President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, held talks with Ali Bardakoğlu, President of the Religious Affairs, and received ambassadors at the Vatican Embassy in Ankara.

On November 29 2006, the Pope visited the House of the Virgin Mary at Ephesus, where he conducted an open-air Mass. At Istanbul, he prayed with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Patriarchal Church of Saint George, before holding private talks. Benedict has stated that a key goal of his papacy will be healing the long-lasting schism between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

On November 30 2006, Benedict's attendance at the Saint Andrew's Day's Divine Liturgy, the primary purpose of his long-planned journey, symbolized his seeking of reconciliation between the Western and Eastern rites of Christianity. Giving a message for the unity of the two Churches, both leaders signed a joint declaration.

The pope during a mass in Brazil

Next, the Pope visited Hagia Sophia, originally the greatest church of Orthodox Christianity subsequently converted into a mosque and a museum. He then visited the Blue Mosque , where he prayed alongside Grand Mufti Mustafa Çağrıcı..

The Pope then held talks with Patriarch Mesrob II Mutafyan of Constantinople and Patriarchal Vicar Mor Filiksinos Yusuf Çetin, heads of Turkey's Armenian and the Assyrian communities respectively, conducting religious ceremonies in their respective churches. Benedict also met with Ishak Haleva, Hakham Bashi (Chief Rabbi) of Turkey's Sephardic Jews.

On December 1, the Pontiff wrapped up his trip by visiting the Roman Catholic Holy Spirit Cathedral. After releasing white doves symbolizing peace and revealing a statue of Pope Benedict XV, he celebrated Mass in the cathedral.In his farewell speech at Istanbul Atatürk Airport, the Pope said "a part of my heart remains in Istanbul".

Brazil (May 9 to May 13, 2007)

In Brazil, the Pope visited the sanctuary of Aparecida and the city of São Paulo. In Aparecida he addressed the Latin American Bishops' Conference. Pope Benedict XVI canonised Friar Antônio Galvão, a Franciscan who lived in the 18th century, at a festive mass before hundreds of thousands of people in São Paulo.

Austria (September 7 to September 9, 2007)

On September 7, 2007, Pope Benedict arrived at Vienna International Airport at 11:15 a.m., where he was greeted by Austria's President Heinz Fischer and Cardinal Archbishop Christoph Schönborn. The visit was labelled as a pilgrimage to Austria's national shrine at Mariazell Basilica. During his three-day visit, he also joined Jewish leaders to pay a silent tribute to victims of the Nazi Holocaust. As a pilgrim, it is his seventh foreign trip in two years, and he joined Vienna's chief rabbi in a memorial to the 65,000 Viennese Jews who perished in Nazi death camps.

Future journeys

The following are future papal journeys which have been confirmed by the Holy See:

United States (April 15-20, 2008)

The Pope is expected to make a visit to the United States in April, 2008. This will be the first Papal visit to the United States by Benedict XVI, and the first visit of a Pope to the U.S. since John Paul II's visit in 1999. During his time in the United States, he will first travel to Washington, DC where he will be formally received at the White House, and celebrate Mass at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium. Following this, the Pope will then travel to New York City, where he plans to address the United Nations, visit the World Trade Center site, and celebrate Mass at Yankee Stadium.

Australia (July 17-20, 2008)

The Pope will meet with the young people of the world at World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney. He will celebrate an open-air Closing Mass with the participants at Randwick Racecourse on July 20.