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Aborigines to welcome Pope Benedict

17 April 2008 - Aboriginal elders will be the first Australians to officially welcome the Pope when he arrives in Sydney for the Catholic Church's World Youth Day (WYD) in July.

Elders of the Gadigal people from the Sydney area's Eora nation will welcome Pope Benedict XVI on July 17 at a location being kept secret for security reasons.

The Pope will then make his first public appearance in a so-called "boat-a-cade" on Sydney Harbour.

"The welcome rightfully starts with indigenous people, the first inhabitants of this land," said Bishop of Broome Chris Saunders, chair of the WYD indigenous advisory committee.

"They will be the first to welcome the Pope before he gets on the vessel which brings him to the young people of the world," said WYD coordinator Anthony Fisher, the auxiliary Bishop of Sydney.

More than 200,000 pilgrims from 177 countries are expected for the six-day event.

The highlight will be the Holy Father's concluding papal mass at Randwick Racecourse on Sunday, July 20, which is expected to draw an audience of half a million people, the biggest gathering on Australian soil.

Aboriginal Catholics are playing a key role in WYD, with indigenous dancers and musicians also performing for Pope Benedict.

An indigenous message stick has been accompanying the WYD cross on its tour around Australia.

Official merchandise features the work of Aboriginal artist Richard Campbell, and earthy red vestments for visiting clergy are adorned with artwork by Tiwi Islander Marjorie Liddy.

"It will be a marvellous opportunity to show the indigenous face of the Catholic Church in the Great South Land," said Sydney community leader Elsie Heiss.

Catholics are the largest religious group among indigenous Australians, numbering 101,000 or 22 per cent, and they make up two per cent of all people identified as Catholics in the 2006 census.

Source: AAP

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