Today Pope Benedict XVI met with the Council of the Central Committee of German Catholics: Dear Brothers and Sisters, I am grateful for this opportunity to come together, here in Freiburg, with you, the Council Members of the Central Committee for German Catholics (ZdK). I gladly express to you my appreciation for your work in ...read more

Pope Benedict’s words to young people at the prayer vigil in Freiburg, Germany: Dear young friends, Throughout today I have been looking forward to this evening, and to this opportunity to be together with you and to join you in prayer. No doubt some of you were present at World Youth Day, where we were ...read more

The following is the Homily of the Holy Father given at Holy Mass in Erfurt, Cathedral Square: Dear Brothers and Sisters, “Praise the Lord at all times, for he is good.”  These are the words that we sang just before the Gospel.  Yes, we truly have reason to thank God with our whole hearts.  If ...read more

This morning the Holy Father met with the Council of the Evangelical Germany Church in Erfurt, in a former Augustinian Convent. A historic moment as this place is where Martin Luther was ordained a Catholic priest in 1507. Ladies and Gentlemen, As I begin to speak, I would like first of all to thank you ...read more

Following his speech at the German lower parliamentarians, Pope Benedict XVI  met with Representatives of the Jewish Community. The Holy Father remembered the Shoah: “Today, I find myself in a central place of remembrance, the appalling remembrance that it was from here that the Shoah, the annihilation of our Jewish fellow citizens in Europe, was ...read more

Today at 6pm, Pope Benedict arrived at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin for the first Celebration of the Holy Eucharist of this year’s visit to Germany. After arriving and the traditional drive-through, the Holy Father was welcomed by the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit. The Stadium was filled to capacity, with some 70,000 people in ...read more

Today, Thursday, September 22, Pope Benedict began his first State Visit to Germany with a visit to the Bundestag, the lower house of Parliament. This is the third time that a Pope addresses a Federal Parliament: Pope John Paul II addressed the Parliaments in Warsaw and in Rome. The Holy Father reminds German politicians that ...read more

Pope Benedict arrived in his native journey this morning. Salt + Light’s coverage (on TV and streaming online) of the four-day papal visit begins today at 10:00am ET. Today’s schedule is below: Highlights of Pope Benedict’s arrival at the Berlin Tegel International Airport, including the Welcome Ceremony at Bellevue Castle 10:00am – 10:15am ET / ...read more

Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Germany this morning. During the welcoming ceremony, attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff, the Holy Father said he had “not come primarily to pursue particular political or economic goals … but rather to meet people and to  speak about God.” Mr President of the Federal Republic, Ladies ...read more

The so-called staycation is becoming a popular option for many. It’s considerably more affordable to spend a week off in your own home, enjoying cultural activities you’ve never made time for or completing long-neglected household tasks. And doesn’t a morning spent reading the newspaper at the neighbourhood café sound more relaxing than preparing for travel? ...read more