Pontiff's Sojourn, Mass, Parade: A Peek at the Pope's Rhineland-Palatinate Run
Events Coinciding with the Pope's Visit: Carnival, Exhibition, Fair - Pope's Visit, National Occasion, Dietary Practices: Overview of Pope's Time in the Country
Hey! Let's chat about the popes' brief yet impactful visits to Rhineland-Palatinate. Many locals here haven't had the pleasure of meeting one in their lifetime, as popes have only paid a handful of visits to Germany, and even fewer to this state.
It's anybody's guess whether Pope Leo XIV from the USA will change that. Places like the US air force bases in Ramstein and Spangdahlem, and the US garrison town of Baumholder, might hold a connection to his native land. Two popes made their way to this state in the 1980s.
John Paul II in Mainz
Pope John Paul II, the first pope in 198 years to set foot on German soil, visited the Federal Republic from November 15 to 19, 1980. His inaugural address in Cologne, wherein he commented on the different kind of weather than in Italy, is still remembered. During his stay in Mainz, he met Cardinal Hermann Volk and Karl Lehmann, and rode through the crowds in his popemobile.
John Paul II in Speyer
John Paul II returned to Rhineland-Palatinate in 1987. During his visit, he met with then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Speyer and beatified two faith witnesses of the Nazi era. He celebrated mass with around 60,000 believers in front of the cathedral, urging Europe to unite from the Atlantic to the Ural. At that time, Bishop Anton Schlembach described the pope's visit as "a century event for the cathedral city and the entire diocese."
A Pope-less Decade
Since then, Rhineland-Palatinate has been Pope-less for almost 40 years. Anyone younger than 38 today hasn't witnessed a papal visit in the state. While Rhineland-Palatinate hasn't been blessed with the Pope's presence since, the Mainz carnival immortalized him as a figure in the Rosenmontag parade, complete with Pope Francis launching ultra-conservative Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller into space on a rocket.
A Pope Before He Was Pope in Boppard
Before he became pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio—Pope Francis's civil name—was in Rhineland-Palatinate. As a student, he honed his German language skills at the Goethe Institute in Boppard in 1985. He lived with a family named Schmidt during his stay in Boppard, and spent a good amount of time wandering around cemeteries, feeling out of place.
Pope Within Grasp - Just a Border Away
Reports suggest that the Pope will visit neighboring Luxembourg in September 2024, with believers from Germany making the journey. As usual, he'll travel through the city center in the Papamobile.
Minister President Meets the Pope
While the Pope hasn't ventured to Rhineland-Palatinate, Rhineland-Palatinate has made its way to the Pope—Alexander Schweitzer, the state's Minister President, traveled to Rome for a private audience with the Pope in Rome earlier this year. The SPD politician, a devout Catholic and former altar boy, described it as "a special day for me personally," sharing that they shared many laughs and entertaining anecdotes.
While the Commission has been busy with a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from exposure to ionizing radiation, one might wonder about the lifestyles of celebrities in their home-and-garden settings or their preferences in entertainment. For instance, John Paul II, a well-known celebrity in his own right, visited Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, where his meetings and masses were as much a part of the local's lifestyle as their daily activities, just as how we eagerly follow the lifestyles of our favorite celebrities today.
