[Pyro7480]

Pope Benedict XVI holds a statue of the Virgin Mary with Child given to him as a gift during an audience with German pilgrims in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Monday, April 25, 2005. Pope Benedict XVI, who is the first German pope in centuries, received a hero's welcome from his fellow countrymen who came to Rome to attend his installment Mass on Sunday.(AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Specifically, that statue is of Our Lady of Altötting. Altötting is a Bavarian town where there is a shrine to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Benedict XVI was born only a short distance from there. Coincidentally, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception dedicated an oratory of Our Lady of Altötting on 16 April 2005, (then) Cardinal Ratzinger's 78th Birthday.

[onyx]

His brother looks lonely sitting by himself, but humble too: note that he didn't take a front row seat.

Beautiful pics again, pyro.
Thanks so much for these daily threads!

[wideawake]

I love that picture of the Pope's brother. It reminds me of how I feel about my battle-decorated younger brother - so happy to be part of his family.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks, Pyro!

[TNCMAXQ]

Nice pictures. Seems like the Holy Father has a nice dry sense of humor too. So much for this caricature of him as a serious, no nonsense type guy.

[AnAmericanMother]

I thought she looked familiar!

I lived just down the road in Bad Aibling one summer.

[rockabyebaby]

Thanks for the pind a ding ding! I LOVE our new Pope! Benedict RULES!