Your Holiness, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.
I acknowledge the first Australians on whose land we meet and whose cultures we celebrate as among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
On behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian people it is my great honour to welcome His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to Sydney, Australia for this World Youth Day.
Your Holiness, you are a very welcome guest in our country. Your Holiness in this country you are truly among friends and we are honoured as Australians, all Australians to have you with us today.
This is an occasion of great significance for the whole of the Australian community.
It is especially significant for Australia's Catholic community who make up more than one quarter of our number. Australia's Catholic community reflects the great diversity of the church worldwide, comprised of descendants from early Irish and English settlers, post-War migrants from Italy, from Malta and from other parts of Europe. And those who are arrived more recently, from diverse parts of the world, including Asia, Latin America and Lebanon and the Pacific Islands.
Australia's Catholic community likewise reflects the great physical diversity of Australia. From those who gather in the restored grandeur of St Mary's Cathedral in this great city of Sydney and to those who gather in the weathered old parish churches in the smallest towns of our outback.
Over 1300 parishes span the length and breadth of this vast Australian continent and, your Holiness, I am sure that in each one of those parishes every one of them would welcome you with open arms.
Your Holiness, you are also welcome in Australia, a welcome guest for the wider Australian Christian community. You are also welcome in Australian on behalf of those Australians of other faiths and indeed for the general Australian community at large.
Your Holiness you are welcome as an apostle of peace in an age where in an increasingly interdependent world peace is a much needed voice among us all.
Your are welcome as a voice for the world's poor. You are also welcome as a voice of hope at a time in our planet's dealings when hope is most needed of all.
It is fitting that his holinesses first visit to Australia is for the occasion of World Youth Day. In part because Australia itself is a young country, although as this young country we inhabit this vast and ancient land.
In part also because the great diversity of the pilgrims who have come to Sydney, mirror the great diversity of modern Australia. We are literally in this country, people who have come from every corner of God's earth.
And also, as we experience the sheer exuberant joy of the young people of the world who have come to this city and who have imparted their joy to us in this land. It has been a wonderful experience for us all.
Your Holiness, Indigenous Australians, our Aboriginal Australians, our Torres Strait Islander Australians have also asked me to extend to you the warmest of welcomes.
Our Indigenous people are so much part of our county's past and so much part of our country's future. It has been from time to time a troubled past. We now work to forge a common future among us all.
You Holiness, you have done us a great honour in coming to this our land Australia. We welcome your presence, we look forward to your continued events among us and we hope and pray on behalf of all Australians that your time here in Australia is a blessing not just for the people of this land, not just for the pilgrims who have come from across the world to be with us, but also for those of you who visit us for the first time as well.
Your Holiness, we welcome you.