Pope Benedict arrives at Elysee Palace

(12 Sep 2008) SHOTLIST
1. Top view of presidential Elysee Palace, journalists rushing into position
2. Cutaway military band
3. Top view of Elysee Palace
4. French President Nicolas Sarkozy waiting
5. Various of Pope Benedict XVI arriving in car
6. Pope being greeted by Sarkozy
7. Top view of Elysee Palace
8. Benedict and Sarkozy walking to go inside, pose for cameras
9. Pope greeting officials inside walks upstairs with Sarkozy
STORYLINE
Pope Benedict XVI on Friday arrived at the presidential Elysee Palace in Paris for a reception hosted by the French president and his wife.
Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy earlier greeted the pontiff when he landed at Orly airport just after 11:00 a.m. (0900 GMT).
On the plane, Benedict expressed understanding for France's long tradition of separating church and state, but added that, nonetheless, that religion and politics should be open to each other.
Sarkozy was to host Benedict for talks at the Elysee Palace Friday.
The president's office said Sarkozy planned to discuss his idea of "positive secularism" - upholding the separation of church and state, while considering religions as beneficial for society, not a danger- during talks at the Elysee Palace.
Afterwards, Benedict will meet members of the Jewish community before leading a ceremony at Notre Dame cathedral.
He also plans to address Muslim leaders.
France is home to a growing number of Muslims whose visible customs, such as wearing headscarves in public schools, have raised the hackles of officials determined to preserve the boundaries between church and state.
France, a fiercely secular country that is traditionally Roman Catholic, has Western Europe's largest population of both Jews and Muslims.
French authorities will mobilise 9,200 police and other security officers for the Pope's visit, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
A Saturday morning Mass in central Paris is expected to draw between 150,000 and 200,000 people, the Interior Ministry has said.
Later on Saturday, the pontiff will visit the Roman Catholic shrine of Lourdes in the south of France near the Pyrenees while the sanctuary celebrates the 150th anniversary of apparitions of the Virgin Mary to a local 14-year-old, Bernadette Soubirous.
The shrine draws 6 million people annually, some of them disabled or desperately sick, many of them hoping for a miracle.
Lourdes was the last trip abroad for Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II.
When John Paul visited in 2004, he was 84 and suffering the final ravages of Parkinson's disease. He needed to be helped by aides. He died in 2005.

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