The Pope has said he understands why people have turned their back on the Catholic Church after recent sex abuse scandals, as he started his first German state visit.
Pope Benedict XVI, at the start of a four-day trip to his homeland, also struck a conciliatory note with protesters who threaten to overshadow his stay.
The 84-year-old insisted he had no problem with demonstrations as long as they stayed "civil", adding: "I respect those who speak out."
The Bavaria-born pontiff's election six years ago was met with an outpouring of joy in Germany.
But now this has been marred by outrage at revelations of the widespread molestation of children by Catholic clergy over several decades.
The Pope told reporters as he flew to Berlin: "I can understand that in the face of such reports, people, especially those close to victims, would say, 'This isn't my Church anymore.'"
He added the Church "is a net of the Lord which catches both good fish and bad".
The Vatican has indicated the pontiff is likely to meet with sexual abuse victims during his trip, as he did on visits to Britain and Malta.
Figures suggested the scandal of sex abuse by German priests, which erupted last year, helped drive more than 181,000 from the Church.
The Pope said on Thursday that there were various factors behind the dwindling numbers "in the context of a secular society".
On landing in Berlin, he was met by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff.
Howitzers fired a ceremonial salute as the Pope stepped off his plane and Eurofighter jet escorts flew overhead.
He was introduced to Cabinet members and then representatives of the German Catholic Church, including a group of children.
A small group of protesters had gathered, holding banners with slogans saying "against anti-Semitism, sexism and homophobia" and "my body, my choice".
The Pope was to speak in the German parliament, which many lawmakers vowed to boycott in protest at what they consider a violation of the separation of church and state.
Another 10,000 people were expected to demonstrate outside.
There was to be a security lockdown near the Bundestag parliament building, as well as in the largely Muslim neighbourhood around the apostolic nunciature, the Vatican embassy, where the Pope will spend the night.
He was set to meet with leaders of Germany's Jewish and Muslim communities, and attend three masses and an ecumenical service with Lutheran church members.
More than 250,000 people were registered to attend his masses, including about 70,000 who plan to be at the open-air service in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Polls show that an overwhelming majority of Germans are largely indifferent to "their" Pope's arrival.
Germany's Christians are split down the middle between Catholics and Lutherans, each with about one-third of the population in the country that was the cradle of the Reformation.
67 comments