Pope Benedict XVI waves to wellwishers in front of the Cathedral in Erfurt, eastern Germany, on September 23, 2011, on the second 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 / POOL RALPH ORLOWSKI