Pope Benedict XVI leaves the Erfurt protestant monastery of St. Augustin with Praeses Nikolaus Schneider (L), president of the council of the German Evangelical Church, on September 23, 2011, on the second day of the Pontiff's 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 AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI