Pope begins first papal trip

Pope Benedict XVI began his first papal trip today with a visit to the eastern seaport of Bari, a brief but symbolic outing that follows in the much-travelled footsteps of his predecessor.

Benedict flew by helicopter to Bari, a city on the Adriatic coast that is closely tied to the Orthodox church. After landing, he boarded a white “pope mobile” and waved to the crowds as he made his way slowly to Bari’s seaside, where he celebrated an open-air Mass to close a national religious conference.