Pope begins four-day visit to his homeland
Greeting: Children welcome the Pope to Berlin
12 April 2012
Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Germany today on his first state visit to his homeland where he is expected to be greeted by large protests and even larger crowds of Catholic faithful.
The Bavarian-born pontiff, 84, was met on a red carpet at Berlin's Tegel airport by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Christian Wulff and children at the start of his four-day visit, which will include a trip to the former East Germany.
A group of about 20 protesters at the airport held banners saying "against anti-Semitism, sexism and homophobia" and "my body, my choice", a reference to the Church's stance on abortion.
