In May 2006, church leaders welcomed the parliamentary declaration that Nepal is now a secular state, a change from what had been the only officially Hindu country in the world. The first open air Christian musical program was hosted to celebrate the beginning of religious freedom for the first time in Nepal's history. A convent was inaugurated along with a training center in western Nepal in June 2006, a first for western Nepal. Six Nepalese youths went to World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany despite having a difficult time obtaining visas from German officials. In a display of inter-religious cooperation, the Olympic torch was brought to the top of the sacred mountain of Makalu, having been blessed by both Pope Benedict XVI and the Dalai Lama.