He was 78 years old when he was elected pope, and many people advised him to limit his travels. Despite this, he made 24 trips, just over three trips every year and holds the record as the oldest pope to have traveled.
His first trip was in August 2005 to Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day. Almost one million youth from around the world welcomed him on the shores of the Rhine.
He returned to Germany a year later, to visit his native Bavaria. He saw Altotting, the shrine where his parents took him to when he was a child, to his brother's house in Regensburg.
It was at the university there, the last place he worked as a professor, where he was invited to give a lecture. During a conference, he cited a quote by a 14th century Byzantinian emperor that was offensive to Muslims, causing strong protests throughout the Islamic world.
The controversy subsided two months later with another trip, this time to Turkey and the iconic Blue Mosque of Istanbul.
He visited Spain on three occasions. The first, for the World Meeting of Families in Valencia on July 2006. The second time was in 2010 to Santiago de Compostela and Barcelona, when he consecrated the spectacular Sagrada Familia basilica. The third visit was in 2011 for World Youth Day in Madrid. There, a heavy storm prevented him from giving his address, but it did not dampen the spirits of the pilgrims.
BENEDICT XVI
“Thank you for your joy and resistance. Your strength is stronger than the rain. Thank you. The Lord is sending us His blessings with the rain. With this, you're leading by example.”
Another one of his iconic trips was in April 2008. He arrived in Washington, D.C. on his birthday and celebrated at the White House.
He also visited New York. He prayed at Ground Zero with the families of the victims of the September 11th attacks. He gave a stirring address to the United Nations General Assembly on the the foundation of Human Rights.
He crossed the Atlantic on two other occasions. The first was in May 2007 to inaugurate the Conference of Latin American Bishops in Brazil.
He then returned to Latin America in March 2012 for an unforgettable visit to Mexico. It was a brief, yet symbolic visit. He began with an endearing meeting with children in the Square of Peace in Guanajuato.
The next day he wore a traditional sombrero before celebrating Mass with hundreds of thousands of faithful at the Bicentenary Park in León.
From there he flew to Cuba. He celebrated Mass at Revolution Square in Havana and met for thirty minutes with Fidel Castro. He interceded on behalf of political opponents and succeeded in having Good Friday declared a holiday on the island. He also invited Cubans to build a renewed and reconciled nation.
He also visited Africa on two occasions. First to Cameroon and Angola in 2009, and then Benin in 2011.
In 2009, he fulfilled his dream of traveling to the Holy Land and following the footsteps of Christ. His final trip as pope was to Lebanon. It was a significant trip to a country that is a symbol of peaceful coexistence between Christians and Muslims.
JMB/JAE-MB
