Welcome Ceremony at Franz Joseph Strauss international airport of Munich (September 9, 2006)

Mr President,
Madam Chancellor and Mr Prime Minister,
My Brother Cardinals and Bishops,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today with great emotion I set foot, for the first time since my elevation to the Chair of Peter, on German and Bavarian soil. I return to my homeland and among my own people, in order to visit certain places of fundamental importance in my life. I am grateful to the President of the Republic, Dr Horst Köhler, for his cordial words of welcome. In those words I sensed a faithful echo of the sentiments of all our people. I thank the Chancellor, Dr Angela Merkel, and the Prime Minister, Dr Edmund Stoiber, for the kindness with which they have honoured my arrival on German soil. I also offer greetings and the expression of my gratitude to the members of Government, the ecclesiastical, civil and military authorities, and all those who are here to welcome me on this visit, which is so meaningful for me.

At this moment, many memories of the years I passed in Munich and Regensburg come back to mind: memories of people and events which have deeply marked my life. Conscious of how much I have received, I have come here above all to express my deep gratitude towards all those who helped shape me as a person. But I also come here as the Successor of the Apostle Peter, to reaffirm and strengthen the deep bonds linking the See of Rome and the Church in our native land.

These bonds have a history going back centuries and constantly nourished by firm adherence to the values of the Christian faith, an adherence in which the region of Bavaria can take particular pride. It is witnessed to by famous monuments, majestic cathedrals, statues and paintings of great artistic value, literary works, cultural initiatives and above all, the many individual and community events which reflect the Christian beliefs of successive generations in this Land which is so dear to me. The relations between Bavaria and the Holy See, notwithstanding some moments of tension, have always been marked by cordial respect. At decisive moments in their history, the Bavarian people have always confirmed their sincere devotion to the See of Peter and their firm attachment to the Catholic faith. The Mariensäule standing in Munich's central square is an eloquent testimony to that faith.

Today's social context is in many ways different from that of the past. Still, I think we are all united in the hope that new generations will remain faithful to the spiritual patrimony which has withstood all the crises of history. My visit to the land of my birth is meant to be an encouragement in this regard: Bavaria is a part of Germany; sharing in the ups and downs of Germany's history, and has good reason to be proud of the traditions inherited from the past. My hope is that all my compatriots in Bavaria and throughout Germany will play an active part in the transmission of the fundamental values of the Christian faith to the citizens of tomorrow. I would gladly have visited other parts of Germany too, including all the various local Churches, especially those linked to personal memories. I have received many signs of affection from everywhere, and especially from the Dioceses of Bavaria, during this early stage of my Pontificate. So I am pleased to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to everyone, and I entrust to God's Providence the possibility of future meetings with those Particular Churches.

Finally I have the pleasant duty of expressing heartfelt appreciation for all that has been done to prepare for the meetings of the next few days and to ensure that my visit proceeds smoothly. I would also like to extend a most cordial greeting to all the people of Bavaria and the whole of Germany. I am thinking here not only of the Catholic faithful, to whom my visit is principally directed, but also of the members of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, particularly Lutheran and Orthodox Christians. Finally I greet the followers of other religions and all people of good will who have at heart the peace and freedom of this country. May the Lord bless the efforts of all those concerned to build a future of true well-being for the good of the whole nation. I entrust these prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, venerated in this land as the Patrona Bavariae . I do so in the classic prayer of Jakob Balde: Rem regem regimen regionem religionem conserva Bavaris, Virgo Patrona, tuis! – Preserve, O Virgin and Patroness, for your Bavarian people, their goods, their government, their land and their religion!

To all those present I offer a heartfelt "Grü $ Gott!"

Source: Holy See Press Office