May 4, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Earlier today, Pope Benedict XVI made his first trip outside Rome in a brief visit to the papal summer residence, Castel Gandolfo.
The Holy Father traveled by Italian Air Force helicopter to the mountainous lakeside town for a three-hour visit, where he was greeted by hundreds of locals waving white and yellow flags.
The Vatican announced that the visit included a brief meeting with the town mayor, an appearance at a window facing the village’s main street for a blessing, and a walk through the grounds of the papal residence before being flown back to the Vatican in the early evening.
Pope John Paul II had made the retreat well-known by spending numerous weeks during Rome’s scorching summer months there, where he welcomed many friends and dignitaries, including President George Bush and his wife Laura in 2001.