Pope Benedict XVI ended his four-day trip to his native Germany on Sunday. The highlight of the visit was an open-air Mass for a million people in Cologne.

During his visit, the first outside Italy since he became Pope last April, he reached out to Jews and Muslims and called on Europe to rediscover its Christian vocation.

A visit to a synagogue, where he warned about rising anti-Semitism, and a frank talk with Muslims about terrorism, laid emphasis on good inter-faith relations.

In his homily during Sunday’s Mass, held to mark the 20th World Youth Day Festival, he urged Church members to use wisely the freedom God has given them.

“Freedom is not simply about enjoying life in total autonomy, but rather about living by the measure of truth and goodness so that we ourselves can become true and good,” he said.

He urged people not to forget Sunday Mass when they returned home: “If you make the effort, you will realise that this is what gives a proper focus to your free time.”

The large crowd, from almost 200 countries, had been invited to the event by a different pope, the charismatic John Paul II. The late Polish Pontiff had cancelled all his planned trips abroad because of ill-health except for this festival, but he died on 2 April, leaving his successor to keep the

appointment.

The youths embraced Pope Benedict XVI as they would have embraced Pope John Paul II – with the same huge turnout, shouts and applause.

Some 800,000 of them spent the night sleeping in fields outside Cologne so they could attend the Mass. Flags from dozens of countries were seen, including some from Malta.

During the trip, Pope Benedict made it clear that he intends to continue important parts of his predecessor’s heritage.

Apart from Sunday’s Mass, the Pope held two important meetings with Muslims and Jews. He became only the second pontiff in history – the other was John Paul II – to pay a visit to a synagogue, where he spoke to the Jewish community, who gave him a standing ovation for his warning of rising anti-Semitism and call for a better dialogue.

He made stronger statements to Muslim representatives, addressing them as “my dear Muslim friends” but raising the issue of terrorism, which he called “cruel fanaticism”, and urging older Muslims to educate the young generation in the ways of peace.

The differences between Joseph Ratzinger and Karol Wojtyla came out more in the open. Pope Benedict XVI did not kiss the ground on arrival or move to the music. He also read his speeches slowly in a soft voice and waved and smiled shyly at the loud applause that greeted him.

Neither did he remind his audience of the Roman Catholic Church’s bans on premarital sex and the use of condoms and other forms of artificial birth control, which were favourite topics of Pope John Paul.

And he did not promise to attend the next World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, in 2008; Pope John Paul always ended World Youth Day – which he founded in 1984 – by saying he would attend the next one.

He expressed serious concern on another of his favourite subjects, the need to evangelise a Europe that has become increasingly secular despite its centuries of Christian belief – although the huge turnout for the Sunday Mass was evidence that the Church still retains its hold over many people’s hearts.

“Some young Germans, especially in the East, have never had a personal encounter with the Good News of Jesus Christ,” he told German bishops.

“Even in traditionally Catholic areas, the teaching of religion and catechesis do not always manage to forge lasting bonds between young people and the church community.”