GERMANY: Munich prepares for the start of the Pope's nostalgic tour of his Bavarian homeland

Pilgrims started arriving in the normally busy centre of Munich on Saturday (September 9, 2006), with half a million more still expected to be en route to the German city that will be the first stop on Pope Benedict's nostalgic six-day tour of his Bavarian homeland. Outdoor stands sold Pope t-shirts, hats and candles, as well as large and extra-large bottles of "Papstbier" (Pope Beer) - a bow to the beers that have made Munich famous around the world. "I hope we will get good business out of it. We've been here since the start of the week and the first pilgrims arrived midweek in Munich. The Pope arrives at 1700pm (1500gmt) at Marienplatz. We don't know what kind of crowds to expect or how many thousands or hundreds of thousands will be here. But obviously we hope that the expected business will come today," said Jeurgen Schreieck, the owner of a souvenir stand. Pilgrims arriving from all over Bavaria will gather at Franz Josef Strauss Airport to welcome the Pope at 1530pm (1330gmt), where he will be met by President Köhler with military honours. "The visit is a celebration of faith. Everybody here in Munich will be celebrating. We have been waiting excitedly for months. Today is finally the day. We are confident it will be a happy celebration," said a nun called Sister Elizabeth. A local resident decided to take the opportunity to see the Pope, saying it is not a special event for him but for Munich. "I don't have big expectations myself. But I am from Munich and I want to come and see him while I have a chance. It's not special for me but it is special for Munich," Erich Altmeier, a Munich resident said. Pope Benedict returns to his Bavarian roots when he starts a nostalgic six-day trip to his southern German homeland and some of its most traditionally Catholic places. The 79-year-old pope starts off in Munich, where he was archbishop from 1977 until he left for Rome in 1982 to become the top doctrinal authority in the Vatican - a job he held until he was elected in April 2005 to succeed Pope John Paul. Another sentimental stop will be in Regensburg, where he taught theology from 1969 to 1977 and gathered a large circle of former students he still meets annually. Their most recent session was only last weekend, when they discussed the topic of evolution. The former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger will also make a short stop in Martkl am Inn, a village near the Austrian border where he was born in 1927 but only lived for two years, and a longer visit to the nearby Altoetting shrine to the Blessed Virgin. This will be Benedict's second visit to Germany since his election. In August last year, he visited the World Youth Day in the northwestern city of Cologne. Catholicism is deeply rooted in Bavarian culture. Germany's roughly 26 million Catholics make up about a third of the population, or about equal to registered Protestants. Although long written off as an arch-conservative, the Pope has seen German public opinion mellow somewhat as his countrymen have discovered his grandfatherly manner. But he will face criticism. Catholic liberals plan to demonstrate against his rejection of homosexuality and for reforms including allowing women and married men to become priests and abolishing mandatory celibacy for priests. Since he is only visiting Bavaria, a one-time kingdom that has kept a character and culture all its own, President Horst Koehler and Chancellor Angela Merkel will come down from Berlin to greet their most prominent fellow German.

ITN Source | September 9, 2006

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