Pope on first trip, supports Christian unity

Pope Benedict made the first trip of his pontificate on Sunday and again tried to allay the concerns of other churches by pledging to work ‘‘with all my energy’’ to promote unity among Christians.

Benedict flew by helicopter from the Vatican to the southern Adriatic Port city of Bari to say a Mass for what organisers said was up to 200,000 people. In a scene made famous by his predecessor, Benedict was driven in a bullet-proof ‘Popemobile’ through a rapturous crowd of faithful. —Reuters