For German pilgrims, a proud connection

ROME -- Amid the splendor of Pope Benedict XVI's papal inauguration ceremony, the red, black, and yellow of German flags could be seen mixing with the blue and white of Bavaria.

A little more than two weeks after St. Peter's Square was blanketed by red and white Polish flags for the funeral of Pope John Paul II, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to Rome for yesterday's ceremony. Among them were many German pilgrims who traveled through the Alps and down the Italian autostrada to pay homage to the first German pope in more than 1,000 years.

Andreas Brunner, 23, of Munich, energetically waved his flag before the altar, where his fellow Bavarian sat in shimmering-gold papal regalia.

''It is a great moment because you only get to see the pope one or two times in your whole life," he said.

''But I wouldn't say I am more proud to be German because of it," he said. ''It's not a national thing. It is a religious thing."

Sitting directly under the midday sunshine with four of his close friends, Brunner explained the significance of the lederhosen he wore for the occasion.

''These are traditional clothes worn in the country of the pope," he said, pointing proudly to the ornate embroidery on his coat and the felt appliqué on his suede knickers.

''In Bavaria, you might know his family. You might see his school. As a Bavarian, you might feel closer to him," said Brunner, who studies beer-brewing technology at the University of Munich, the same school where the new pope, as a young priest, completed his studies in philosophy and theology.

''He studied at the same university as I do, but a different sector," he continued, laughing. ''I think the University of Munich is about the only place that offers courses in beer technology."

Sixty years after the fall of the Nazi regime, Bavaria is still haunted by the legacy of that dark period. Some of the German pilgrims expressed unhappiness over media references to Benedict's wartime past. During World War II, Joseph Ratzinger, as Benedict was then known, was a member of the Hitler Youth, then mandatory for high school students, and as a young man he served in an antiaircraft unit, from which he deserted.

''He was a young boy, you can't blame him. There should be a stop to bringing that story out," said Brunner, furrowing his brow. ''He has nothing to do with that history."

Brunner said a German pope may be just what the country needs.

''Some Catholic people in Germany are leaving the church. A German pope can rekindle that fire."

Guards walked up and down the aisles and asked Brunner and his friends to lower their flags during the Mass. Brunner and his friends persisted, and when the pope began speaking in German, they unfurled a banner that read, ''Holy Father, we love you."

After the words, ''go in peace," were uttered by the new pope and the crowd began to scatter, clusters of Polish pilgrims lingered.

Peter Zaq, 20, of Warsaw, walked through aisles of overturned chairs and piles of empty water bottles. He clutched the frayed edges of the Polish flag bearing a handwritten phrase, ''Poland is always faithful," over his shoulders.

''I was thinking about Pope John Paul during the Mass," he said.

''And he is the reason why I am here," said Zaq after spending the night by the Coliseum.

''We came with little money and we slept outside because we wanted to see this next pope," he said optimistically. ''We are really happy that Joseph was chosen because he can bring the church forward."