Aboriginal dancers welcome Pope Benedict XVI to Australia during a ceremony at Rose Bay in Sydney, Australia, July 17. The pope arrived in the country July 13, but spent a few days resting before he joined World Youth Day in Sydney. (CNS photo/Reuters)

Sydney, Australia — It was a citywide party here and Pope Benedict was the guest of honor as about 500,000 pilgrims, including more than 100 traveling with the Diocese of Rockville Centre, welcomed the pope to World Youth Day on July 17 with waving flags, songs in every language, and chants of “Benedetto!”

Because they had a prime spot for the opening Mass, the Long Island contingent was assigned a spot at the spillover point by Hyde Park, where they waited for the pope’s welcoming address by taking photos and exchanging items with pilgrims from different countries, playing rugby, hackey sack, and other group games with their new friends, singing and chanting, dancing, and praying the rosary. Large television screens showed the waterfront area of Barangaroo, where the pope would greet them.
Pope Benedict arrived to cheers by boat-a-cade around Sydney Harbour to Barangaroo. “What a delight it is to greet you here, on the shores of the magnificent Sydney Harbour, with its famous bridge and Opera House,” said the pontiff. “Where ever you are from, we are here at last in Sydney and together we stand in our world as God’s family, disciples of Christ, empowered by his spirit to be witnesses of his love and truth for everyone.”

“The variety of nations and cultures from which you hail shows that, indeed, Christ’s good news is for everyone,” Pope Benedict noted. “It has reached the ends of the earth.”

“Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises,” he continued. “Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. Let this be the message you bring from Sydney to the world.”

Following his address, Pope Benedict rode in his popemobile through the streets of Sydney and the teens and young adults lined the route to try to catch a glimpse of him, cameras flashing, lots of chanting, and the older and taller pilgrims carrying their younger and shorter friends on their shoulders so they could also see.

“It was awesome hanging out with people from different countries all afternoon,” noted Brian Graney, 17, of Our Lady of Mercy Church in Hicksville. “And you’re never going to have this chance to see the pope so close again. You’re never going to forget something like this.”

“You could feel the excitement in the air,” said Tom Schaefer, 18, of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Lindenhurst. It feels like people can be changed, he noted, “just by (the pope’s) presence.”

“It was absolutely remarkable,” added Danielle Douglas, 19, of St. Boniface Church, Elmont. “It was very touching and completely emotional. Seeing his Holiness — that moment was well worth the wait.”

For slideshows from WYD events please click here