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Pope in visit to German home town Pope visits Bavarian birthplace
(about 9 hours later)
Pope Benedict XVI is due to visit his birthplace, the town of Marktl-am-Inn, as part of a six-day trip to his southern German homeland of Bavaria. Pope Benedict XVI has received an enthusiastic welcome from crowds in the town where he was born, during a visit as part of a six-day trip to Bavaria.
The Pope began the day with an open-air Mass in the nearby town of Altoetting, attended by at least 60,000 people. He prayed with his 82-year-old brother in the church where he was baptised as a baby 79 years ago, in the small town of Marktl-am-Inn in southern Germany.
Alongside with the 79-year-old pontiff on the platform was his brother Georg, 82, who is a retired priest. He paused at the house where he spent his first two years, admiring a bronze column showing scenes from his life.
The Pope hopes his visit will help stem the decline in church attendances in Bavaria, correspondents say. Earlier, in the town of Altoetting, he lamented a global shortage of priests.
Pope Benedict's late afternoon visit to Marktl-am-Inn, a town of 2,700 people about 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Munich, lasted about 30 minutes.
Arriving in his limousine to a brass brand and loud cheers, he shook hands and blessed babies among the crowd.
The Pope and his brother Georg met and prayed togetherHe then entered St Oswald's Church to meet his brother, Georg, a retired priest.
The two men paused in prayer for several minutes before the font in which they were both baptised.
The pontiff was then driven in his popemobile to the yellow and white-painted house where his family had lived until he was two years old.
But he says he does not remember living there, and paid more attention to the bronze sculpture which had been erected ahead of his visit.
The house had to be hastily cleaned after it was spattered with blue paint early on Sunday, in an incident which police described as vandalism.
Enthusiastic welcomeEnthusiastic welcome
The Pope will only make a half-hour afternoon stop in Marktl-am-Inn, a town of 2,700 residents. Earlier, speaking to seminarians in the town of Altoetting, the Pope bemoaned a shortage of priests in both the developing world and also in the West.
Tens of thousands of people flocked to Altoetting for the mass The Pope admired a bronze column showing scenes from his life"Among us in Germany and in the vast lands of Russia it is true that a great harvest could be reaped. But there is a lack of people willing to become labourers for God's harvest."
The house where he was born in 1927 had to be cleaned after unknown attackers threw paint at it. An estimated 70,000 people flocked to the town of 13,000 for an open-air mass in the town's Kapellplatz square.
Police described the attack - early on Sunday - as an act of vandalism rather than a protest. He led the responses as a prayer was read out for the victims of the 11 September attacks in the US five years ago.
In Altoetting, the Pope was given an enthusiastic welcome by huge crowds after flying by helicopter from Munich.
During the mass in the town's Kapellplatz square, he urged the congregation to make more space for God, "giving him a place in the world, in our lives, and letting him enter into our time and our activity".
The pontiff also led the responses as a prayer was read out for the victims of the 11 September attacks in the US five years ago.
Altoetting is known for its wooden statue of the Black Madonna, which attracts many pilgrims every year.Altoetting is known for its wooden statue of the Black Madonna, which attracts many pilgrims every year.
The town has special significance for Catholics because two miracles are said to have taken place in past centuries. Pope Benedict was also due to visit to Freising, where he was ordained a priest and Regensburg, where he once taught theology.
Also on Monday, the pontiff will visit the towns of Refensburg, where he taught theology, and Freising, where he was ordained. The Pope hopes his visit - his first to the area since becoming pontiff in 2005 - will help stem the decline in church attendance in Bavaria, correspondents say.
Parents' gravesParents' graves
As his tour of Bavaria continues on Wednesday, Pope Benedict will spend the day privately with his brother, when the two of them will visit the graves of their mother and father. As his tour of Bavaria continues on Wednesday, Pope Benedict will spend the day privately with his brother, when the two will visit the graves of their mother and father.
The Pope has described the visit to Bavaria - a staunchly Roman Catholic region - as a joyous personal journey.The Pope has described the visit to Bavaria - a staunchly Roman Catholic region - as a joyous personal journey.
On his arrival on Saturday, he was greeted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and spoke of his love for his homeland, saying: "My heart beats Bavarian." On his arrival on Saturday, he spoke of his love for his homeland, saying: "My heart beats Bavarian."
While he faces a warm welcome from many thousands of Catholics in Germany, some have been critical of his uncompromising condemnation of gay marriage and abortion, the BBC's David Willey says.While he faces a warm welcome from many thousands of Catholics in Germany, some have been critical of his uncompromising condemnation of gay marriage and abortion, the BBC's David Willey says.
Such criticism has tempered German pride in last year's election of the first German Pope for centuries, our correspondent adds.
This is the Pope's second visit to Germany.
He last visited his native country just over a year ago to attend the World Youth Day celebrations in Cologne.