Pope Begins Four-Day Trip in Germany

The pope arrived in Berlin on Thursday for his first-ever state visit to Germany and will stay in the country for four days, according to media reports.

Benedict XVI, who was born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Germany, was greeted by Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff, according to the Deutsche Welle.

“It has really been a good beginning for us and the pope,” Vatican spokesperson Federico Lombardi told Der Spiegel regarding the pope’s visit.

Benedict spoke in front of the German Parliament later on Thursday, while some members boycotted the speech over the recent sex abuse scandals that have befallen the Catholic church.

The pope faced a number of protests when he arrived in Germany. “That is normal in a free society,” he said of the protests and criticism, according to Spiegel. “I was born in Germany. Such roots cannot be severed, nor should they be.”