Vatican City, Dec 3, 2011 / 13:11 pm
On the evening of Dec. 2, Pope Benedict XVI enjoyed a traditional Bavarian Advent without leaving Rome courtesy of a German television company that hosted a Christmas special from the Vatican.
“I thank Bavaria Broadcasting,” he told participants, “you have all brought a little bit of the customs and sense of typical Bavarian life into the home of the Pope. I can only tell you from my heart, ‘May the Lord make you blessed’ for this gift.”
As the Pope entered the Clementine Hall of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, an ensemble of traditional Bavaria musicians greeted him with a performance of an “Alpine Christmas Oratorio,” under the direction of the Bavarian composer Hans Berger.
The Pope, along with his invited guests, then sat down to view Bavaria Broadcasting’s new film “From Heaven to Earth: Advent and Christmas in the Bavarian Alps,” which was projected onto a large screen erected in the hall. The film chronicles how families, towns and parishes in Pope Benedict’s native land of Bavaria traditionally celebrate both Advent and Christmas.