And the Pope touched down on the Australian soil at 3 PM Sydney Time (1 PM Manila Time)— a reminiscent of John Paul II’s arrival in Manila during the 1995 WYD as hundreds of people flock on the airport to catch a glimpse of the Pontiff. POPE Benedict XVI has arrived in Australia ahead of World Youth Day celebrations. The Pope’s aircraft landed at Richmond RAAF Base, in Sydney’s northwest, to cries of “the plane, the plane!” from onlookers. More than a thousand people gathered outside the base in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Pope as he arrived, while soldiers patrolled the fence. A plane believed to have been carrying Prime Minister Kevin Rudd touched down at about 1.45pm (AEST), exciting the crowd who thought it was the pontiff’s plane. The Pope later landed at about 3pm (AEST), after his plane circled the airstrip. Traffic on the road adjacent to the base slowed to a crawl as drivers tried to see the plane land. The Alitalia plane, bearing the Australian flag and the Papal flag, taxied to the point where the pontiff was met by the official welcoming party including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell.

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