Three popes have already visited Altötting, Germany’s most famous pilgrimage site and a Bavarian national shrine. These papal visits to Bavaria demonstrate the bond between the heads of the Catholic Church and the Marian pilgrimage to Altötting—which dates back more than 500 years—while also bearing witness to the popes' trust in the aid of the Mother of God, Mary.
Popes in Altötting
Papal visits to the Marian pilgrimage site in Bavaria
It is, of course, a very special distinction for Altötting that three popes have made the journey to this Bavarian Marian shrine. Alongside Munich, Altötting is the only city in Bavaria to have hosted this many papal visits. Pope Benedict XVI was born just a few kilometers away in Marktl am Inn; he visited the pilgrimage site countless times—as a child, later as a companion to Pope John Paul II, as a Curial cardinal, and also as a private pilgrim.
Pope Pius VI. in Bavaria
The first documented papal visit took place in 1782. It was the era of the Enlightenment and the anti-clerical policies of Joseph II. Pope Pius VI traveled to Vienna to meet the Emperor but received a rather cool reception there. In contrast, his welcome in Bavaria was all the warmer when, at the invitation of Elector Karl Theodor, he made his way back to Rome via Altötting. Pius VI celebrated a service in the Chapel of Grace, repeatedly bestowed his blessing upon the large crowd, and spent the night in the former collegiate provost's residence (now the Max Keller School).
Pope John Paul II. in Altötting
Pope John Paul II’s visit took place on November 19, 1980. His stop in Altötting was undoubtedly the atmospheric highlight of his first trip to Germany. Sixty thousand worshippers had gathered for the service at Kapellplatz. As a devotee of the Virgin Mary, the Polish Pope always felt a deep bond with this Bavarian pilgrimage site. Pope John Paul II was accompanied by Archbishop Joseph Ratzinger—the future Pope Benedict XVI. The "Pope’s Lime Tree" planted by John Paul II at Bruder-Konrad-Platz and a larger-than-life bronze sculpture on the façade of the Congregation Hall serve as reminders of this memorable visit.
We are Pope!
Pope Benedict XVI – the Bavarian Pope
When a newspaper ran the headline "We Are Pope!", the joy surrounding the election was immense throughout Germany, and especially in Bavaria. After all, Joseph Ratzinger—who took the papal name Benedict XVI—had spent his childhood and youth in Bavaria. Throughout his career as a priest, student, professor, and archbishop, he remained loyal to his Bavarian homeland, despite holding teaching positions in various German university cities. His birthplace in Marktl am Inn, the neighboring local history museum, and the parish church of St. Oswald—with its historic baptismal font—have since become popular destinations near Altötting. Joseph Ratzinger and his brother Georg were ordained as priests by Cardinal Faulhaber in 1951. In 1977, Pope Paul VI appointed him Archbishop of Munich and Freising, and he was named a cardinal just a few months later. On April 19, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI succeeded his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, on the Chair of St. Peter.
Pope Benedict XVI in his homeland
Joseph Ratzinger, who was born and raised near Altötting, returned to the sites of his childhood on September 11, 2006, as Pope Benedict XVI during his first official visit to Bavaria. Tens of thousands of the faithful attended the Mass celebrated at the Kapellplatz. Traditional Bavarian piety and a Marian spirit were defining elements of Pope Benedict XVI’s life; his deep bond with Altötting was evident in numerous private and public visits made during his time as Archbishop of Munich and Freising, as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and as a Curial cardinal based in Rome. He has also been an honorary citizen of Altötting since 2006 and bestowed the Golden Rose upon the city in 2008.
Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Altötting in pictures
On September 11, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI visited Altötting during his pastoral journey. An unforgettable day!
Papal coat of arms on the Basilica of St. Anna
Find out in the video why the coat of arms of the reigning Pope is always displayed on the facade of the Basilica of St. Anne in Altötting.