Pope Benedict XVI blesses faithful during his weekly general audience on September 28, 2011 at St Peter's square at The Vatican. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI

German-born Pope Benedict XVI holds a mass on the grounds of the airport in Freiburg, southern Germany, on September 25, 2011, on the last day of the Pontiff's first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, German born Joseph Ratzinger, had 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

Pope Benedict XVI makes his farewell speech as the sun sets at the airport in Lahr, southern Germany, on September 25, 2011, on the final day of his first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, German born Joseph Ratzinger, had 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 / SEBASTIEN BOZON

Pope Benedict XVI sits before making his farewell speech as the sun sets at the airport in Lahr, southern Germany, on September 25, 2011, on the final day of his first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, German born Joseph Ratzinger, had 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 / SEBASTIEN BOZON

Pope Benedict XVI meets german federal president Christian_Wulff and wife_Bettina_Wulff at Bellevue Palace during his visit to Germany. Berlin, 22.09.2011. Creidt: Semmer/face to face fot. Face to Face/Reporter

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he holds a general audience at his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo on August 31, 2011. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI

Pope Benedict XVI leds a Crucifixion ceremony at Cibeles square in Madrid on August 19, 2011. Fifteen sculptures from the Spanish Holy Week tradition will portray the various Stations of the Cross between Plaza de Cibeles and Plaza de Colon (Colombus square), an event to be presided by Pope Benedict XVI at the World Youth Day. AFP PHOTO / Jorge Guerrero

Pope Benedict XVI gestures as he boards a plane heading for Spain, on August 18, 2011 at Ciampino Rome's international airport. Pope Benedict XVI flew out of Rome heading for Madrid where he will attend the Catholic World Youth Day festival, expected to draw more than one million people from across the world. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he boards a plane heading for Spain, on August 18, 2011 at Ciampino Rome's international airport. Pope Benedict XVI flew out of Rome heading for Madrid where he will attend the Catholic World Youth Day festival, expected to draw more than one million people from across the world. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

Pope Benedict XVI leads mass for the "Feast for the Family" at the hippodrome in Zagreb on June 5, 2011.Pope Benedict XVI set off for Croatia on June 4 for a two-day visit aimed at reaffirming Christian values that he believes are under threat in increasingly secular societies across Europe. AFP PHOTO /VINCENZO PINTO

Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims as he arrives at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican for his weekly general audience on May 11, 2011. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO

Pope Benedict XVI blesses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on May 1, 2011 ahead of the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to attend a Vatican ceremony in which Pope Benedict XVI will honour his late predecessor John Paul II with near-sainthood status. AFP PHOTO/GIUSEPPE CACACE

PHOTO: WOJTEK LASKI/EAST NEWS WATYKAN 01/05/2011 MSZA BEATYFIKACYJNA PAPIEZA JANA PAWLA II NA PLACU SWIETEGO PAWLA. N/Z: PAPIEZ BENEDYKT XVI CELEBRUJE MSZE BEATYFIKACYJNA JANA PAWLA II

Pope Benedict XVI waves at pilgrims gathered in a square near his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, 40 kms southeast of Rome, during his weekly general audience on September 1, 2010. AFP PHOTO / Filippo MONTEFORTE

Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims on his arrival in St Peter's square at Vatican, for his weekly general audience on April 21, 2010. The 83-old pontiff said, in his speech, that the Roman Catholic Church was taking action against the scourge of paedophile priests amid snowballing scandals in Europe and the United States. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO

Pope Benedict XVI prays as he leads the Way of the Cross (Via Crucis) on Good Friday on April 10, 2009 at Rome's Colosseum. AFP PHOTO/ ALBERTO PIZZOLI

Pope Benedict XVI is pictured during the celebration of the solemnity of Mary, during the 42nd World Day for Peace in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on January 1, 2009. AFP PHOTO/ Tiziana Fabi

Pope Benedict XVI blesses during the First Vespers of Thanksgiving for the end of the year. Vatican City 31.12.2008 fot Alberici/face to face/Reporter

Pope Benedict XVI thanks World Youth Day volunteers at The Domain in Sydney on July 21, 2008 prior to his departure from Australia. The pope flew out of Australia after a nine-day visit during which he made a historic apology to victims of sexual abuse by priests. AFP PHOTO / Greg WOOD

Pope Benedict XVI blesses faithful as he leaves the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel in Sydney on July 17, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI hailed the Australian government's apology to Aborigines for past injustices as he took charge of Catholic World Youth Day celebrations. The pope said also thea World Youth Day "fills me with confidence for the future of the church and the future of our world." AFP PHOTO / POOL / Vincenzo Pinto