Photo Gallery The Pope Heads to Thuringia
On day two of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Germany, he was in the eastern German state of Thuringia. Here, he arrives at the airport in Erfurt.
Benedict was welcomed in Erfurt by the state's governor, Christine Lieberknecht.
Benedict XVI greets German police motorcycle riders on his arrival in Erfurt.
Later, Benedict visited Erfurt Cathedral together with Bishop Joachim Wanke.
In Erfurt, Benedict visited the monastery of St. Augustine's, now Protestant, where Martin Luther lived as a Catholic monk in the 16th century.
On Friday afternoon, Benedict will travel to a shrine in Etzelsbach, where he will hold vespers. Here, the stage that has been built for the event.
Benedict's trip to Thuringia comes after a busy first day of his four-day Germany trip in Berlin. After being officially welcomed by German President Christian Wulff and Chancellor Angela Merkel, he spoke to German parliament and the celebrated mass in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Some 70,000 faithful were on hand for the Berlin mass as the pope arrived in a Mercedes popemobile.
It is the German-born pope's first official state visit to his homeland.
Babies are lifted into the popemobile to be blessed on Thursday evening in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Pope Benedict XVI celebrating mass on Thursday evening.
Chancellor Angela Merkel went to mass in Olympic Stadium as well -- and had to struggle into an impromptu rain poncho to take shelter from a brief shower.
Millions around the world followed the pope's Thursday night mass on television. This woman watched on a screen just outside the stadium.
The pope during mass in Olympic stadium. He will head back to Rome on Sunday.
Much of Berlin came to a virtual standstill for the pope's visit to the German capital on Thursday. But the trains to the Olympic Stadium were running.
