German-born Pope Benedict XVI waves to the audience next to German President Christian Wulff during his welcome ceremony at the Bellevue Palace on September 22, 2011 in Berlin, where he starts his first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, Benedict XVI, German born Joseph Ratzinger, has a packed program, with 18 sermons and speeches planned for his four-day trip to Berlin, Erfurt in the ex-German Democratic Republic and Freiburg. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI