Pope Benedict XVI (R) caresses a lion cub as thousands of participants to the "Pilgrimage to Rome" festival -circus professionals, carnival people, street artists, madonnari (pavement artists), bands and folk groups - gather in Aula Paolo VI (Paul VI Audience Hall) in the Vatican on December 1, 2012 for their audience with the pope. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

Pope Benedict XVI (R) caresses a lion cub as thousands of participants to the "Pilgrimage to Rome" festival - circus professionals, carnival people, street artists, madonnari (pavement artists), bands and folk groups - gather in Aula Paolo VI (Paul VI Audience Hall) in the Vatican on December 1, 2012 for their audience with the pope. AFP PHOTO / POOL / OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Pope Benedict XVI (R) caresses a lion cub as thousands of participants to the "Pilgrimage to Rome" festival - circus professionals, carnival people, street artists, madonnari (pavement artists), bands and folk groups - gather in Aula Paolo VI (Paul VI Audience Hall) in the Vatican on December 1, 2012 for their audience with the pope. AFP PHOTO / POOL / OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Pope Benedict XVI (R) watches a performances by acrobats as thousands of participants to the "Pilgrimage to Rome" festival -circus professionals, carnival people, street artists, madonnari (pavement artists), bands and folk groups - gather in Aula Paolo VI (Paul VI Audience Hall) in the Vatican on December 1, 2012 for their audience with the pope. AFP PHOTO / POOL / OSSERVATORE ROMANO

Pope Benedict XVI's mantle is blown by the wind as he reads his message during the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Benedict XVI waves from the popemobile wearing a Mexican sombrero as he arrives to give a Mass in Bicentennial Park near Silao, Mexico, Sunday, March 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano)

Pope Benedict XVI, left, blesses a baby upon his arrival at Parque del Bicentenario in Silao, Mexico, Sunday, March 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano)

This handout picture released by the Vatican Press Office shows Pope Benedict XVI looks from the helicopter at the Cristo Rey sanctuary as arrives to lead the holy mass celebration at the Parque del Bicentenario in Silao on March 25, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI sought to boost the Catholic faith in the face of violence and other challenges on his first visit to Mexico this weekend, receiving eager support from vast crowds of Mexicans. AFP PHOTO/ L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/OSSERVATORE ROMANO"

Alternative crop - This handout picture released by the Vatican Press Office shows Pope Benedict XVI (R) wears a typical Mexican hat as he arrives to lead the holy mass celebration at the Parque del Bicentenario in Silao on March 25, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI sought to boost the Catholic faith in the face of violence and other challenges on his first visit to Mexico this weekend, receiving eager support from vast crowds of Mexicans. AFP PHOTO/ L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO --- RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/OSSERVATORE ROMANO" Alternative crop

Pope Benedict XVI recites the Angelus prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter' s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, March 18, 2012. Pope Benedict XVI has asked for prayers for his upcoming trip to Mexico and Cuba. Sunday marks the last time Benedict will greet the general public before his visit gets under way Friday. His traditional Wednesday audience was canceled for this week so Benedict, who turns 85 next month, can rest up before the long trip. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Pope Benedict XVI releases a dove from the window of his apartment at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's square at the Vatican on January 29, 2012. The Pontiff and youth of the Catholic Action released two doves, symbol of peace. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS

Pope Benedict XVI releases a dove from the window of his apartment at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's square at the Vatican on January 29, 2012. The Pontiff and youth of the Catholic Action released two doves, symbol of peace. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS

Pope Benedict XVI leaves at the end of a mass celebrated in an industrial area of the town of Lamezia Terme, on October 9, 2011 during his one day visit in Italy's southern Calabria region battling high unemployment among young people and mafia crimes. The Pope will visit also later the Serra San Bruno monastery by helicopter and celebrate a late mass there before returning to Rome. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO

A combo of pictures shows Pope Benedict XVI having his robe blown in the face by the wind as he arrives on September 22, 2011 at the Tegel airport in Berlin, where he starts his 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 trip to Berlin, Erfurt in the ex-German Democratic Republic and Freiburg. AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ

Pope Benedict XVI kisses a baby as he arrives for a mass at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is on a four-day official visit to his homeland Germany. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO/ OSSERVATORE ROMANO" This handout picture released by the Vatican Press Office on August 19, 2011 shows Pope Benedict XVI meeting with children at the nunciature in Madrid. Hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims gave Pope Benedict XVI a rapturous reception as he presided over a lavish ceremony during Catholic festivities in a sweltering Madrid. The adoring welcome was in sharp contrast to scenes nearby, where baton-wielding anti-riot police dispersed about 150 anti-pope protesters who had gathered in a square. AFP PHOTO/ OSSERVATORE ROMANO POOL

Spain's King Juan Carlos (L) speaks with Pope Benedict XVI during their meeting at La Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, August 18, 2011. Hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims gave Pope Benedict XVI a rapturous reception as he presided over a lavish ceremony during Catholic festivities in a sweltering Madrid. The adoring welcome was in sharp contrast to scenes nearby, where baton-wielding anti-riot police dispersed about 150 anti-pope protesters who had gathered in a square. AFP PHOTO / J.J Guillen ***POOL***

Pope Benedict XVI (C) briefly meets with faithfuls as he leaves following an evening prayer service at Notre Dame Cathedral on September 12, 2008 in Paris during his first visit to France. The German pope is in the French capital for two days before flying to the southwest town of Lourdes to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Vatican-recognized apparitions of the Virgin Mary to peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous. AFP PHOTO POOL PHILIPPE WOJAZER

Pope Benedict XVI (2nd R) is seen in Randwick Racecourse in Sydney on July 20, 2008, during the Sunday mass to mark the end of the World Youth Day 2008. Up to half a million Catholic faithful began gathering in Sydney to see Pope Benedict XVI lead a giant mass that will provide a dramatic finale to a week of World Youth Day festivities. The final mass, at which the pope will announce the host city of the 2011 World Youth Day, came a day after the pontiff issued a historic apology, saying he was "deeply sorry" about the "evil" of child sex abuse by Catholic priests AFP PHOTO / Vincenzo Pinto

PHOTO:EAST NEWS/AFP Pope Benedict XVI reads a newspaper while aboard his flight to Sydney on July 12, 2008. Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Sydney on July 13, 2008 for one of the largest Christian gatherings on Earth, starting a visit set to be marked by his apology for sexual abuse by priests in Australia.