Pope Benedict praised the Australian Government on Thursday for apologising for past injustices to Aborigines, saying it was a courageous move to repair race relations and offered hope to the rest of the world.
Aboriginal dancers with painted faces and dressed in animal fur swept the ground with gum leaves in a welcoming ceremony as the Pope boarded a boat to cross Sydney Harbour to greet more than 100,000 Catholic pilgrims at World Youth Day.
One woman aboriginal dancer knelt in front of the 81-year-old pontiff, handing him a branch of gum leaves, which he waved in the air as he boarded the ship to lead 13 boats up the harbour.
The Pope said the ancient heritage of Aborigines, who have been in Australia for some 40,000 years, formed "an essential part of the cultural landscape of modern Australia".
"Thanks to the Australian Government's courageous decision to acknowledge the injustices committed against the indigenous peoples in the past, concrete steps are now being taken to achieve reconciliation based on mutual respect," said the pontiff in a welcoming speech with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
"This example of reconciliation offers hope to peoples all over the world who long to see their rights affirmed and their contribution to society acknowledged and promoted."
Rudd officially apologised to Aborigines in February.
Australia's 460,000 Aborigines make up about 2 per cent of the country's 21 million population and have consistently higher rates of unemployment, substance abuse and domestic violence, as well as a life expectancy 17 years less than other Australians.
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