German-born Pope Benedict XVI red shoes are seen as he attends his welcoming ceremony at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin on September 22, 2011, the first 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 tri p to Berlin, Erfurt in the ex-German Democratic Republic and Freiburg. AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE