Pope arrives in Angola on 2nd leg of Africa tour

[March 20, 2009]  LUANDA, Angola (AP) -- Pope Benedict XVI has arrived in the southern African country of Angola on the second leg of his African tour.

A band played and an official delegation greeted Benedict as he descended from his chartered plane at Luanda's airport. The pope has a busy schedule ahead Friday, meeting with the country's president, its diplomatic corps and bishops.

More than 60 percent of Angolans are Catholic, or about 8.5 million people. Portuguese missionaries baptized the continent's first Catholic convert there in 1491.

Benedict arrived in Angola after a four-day visit to Cameroon, where he met Friday morning with about 15 pygmies who presented him with a live turtle that Vatican officials said would be taken to Vatican City.

[Associated Press]

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