German-born Pope Benedict XVI (C) is surrounded by German President Christian Wulff (R) and his wife Bettina Wulff at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin on September 22, 2011 on the first day of his first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, 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