Thousands of Catholic pilgrims from around the world have converged on Sydney for World Youth Day, a celebration of the Catholic faith, aimed at rejuvenating the church.
Pope Benedict XVI, 82, made his longest journey yet to attend the festival. After reaching Sydney on July 13, the Pope took a three-day holiday before beginning his official duties.
World Youth Day has been held in a different host city around the world every two or three years since 1986.
The event is expected to attract up to 1,25,000 international visitors and will culminate in a papal mass before an estimated 5,00,000 people in Sydney on July 20.
Image: Pope Benedict XVI with Cardinal George Pell during World Youth Day festivities in Sydney.
Photographs: William West/AFP/Getty Images
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