Pope leaves Rome for World Youth Day

Pope Benedict XVI began his first foreign trip as Pontiff today, leaving Rome to take part in the Roman Catholic Church’s World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany.

The Pope left Rome’s Ciampino airport shortly after 10am local time (9am Irish time) on board an Alitalia Airbus A321. He was due to arrive about two hours later in Cologne, where hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world have gathered for the event.