1. Mid of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) activists putting photos on steps outside Hedwig cathedral in Berlin

2. Tilt up to activist Barbara Blaine

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Barbara Blaine, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP):

"We believe that the pope should not meet with victims of child sex abuse by priests. We believe that such a gesture is a public relations manoeuvre that makes the pope look as though something is changing, but in reality he has not made any structural changes that will protect children today."

4. Wide of German government spokesman Steffen Seibert posing for photographers with students

5. SOUNDBITE (German) Steffen Seibert, German government spokesman:

"No, there are no controversial issues. These issues that have been named, the issue of abuse, for example, is one the pope has clearly addressed in all ways imaginable. We know how he thinks about this, we know what the Catholic Church in Germany is doing to deal with the cases in order to ease this enormous pain."

6. Wide of poster from activists promoting secession from the church in front of huge banner wrapping publishing house building, reading (German) "We Are Pope"

7. SOUNDBITE (German) Frank Welker, activist for secession from church "Kirchenaustrittsjahr.de":

"He will hardly have contact with the normal people on the streets. He is speaking to parliament, but many lawmakers will not even be present for his address. As far as I know, there are no plans for a discussion to take place, and that would have been bitterly needed, given the current situation in which the Roman Catholic Church finds itself."

8. Close up of pope caricature on poster surrounded by money and gold

9. Wide of poster from activists promoting secession from the church

10. Wide exterior of Bellevue castle where German President Christian Wulff will be greeting the pope

11. Wide of cameras at red carpet at entrance of Bellevue castle

12. Mid of media trucks

13. Close up of barricades

14. Mid of police on pavement

15. Close up of entrance of German parliament with inscription (German) "For the German People"

16. Wide of parliament with barriers

Pope Benedict XVI''s visit to his home country this week won''t be without its share of controversy.

The visit and programme has been contentiously discussed, and protests have been organised at all the pope''s planned stops during his four-day trip.

The Vatican''s views on contraception, the role of women, homosexuality and its handling of the sexual abuse scandal that rocked Germany last year are seen by many as outdated and out-of-touch.

Hundreds of Germans came forward with claims that they had been sexually or physically abused by Catholic priests.

Local media have reported that plans have been made for the pope to meet with victims of sex abuse although Archbishop Robert Zollitsch, who heads the German Bishops Conference, has refused to comment.

On Wednesday, the president of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Barbara Blaine, told AP that the pope should not hold these meetings because that would sent out the wrong signal.

"We believe that such a gesture is a public relations manoeuvre that makes the pope look as though something is changing," Blaine said, adding "but in reality he has not made any structural changes that will protect children today."

SNAP activists were on Wednesday staging a protest outside a cathedral in central Berlin to demand effective measures to prevent child abuse by priests.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said that despite the sensitive topic there were no controversial issues facing the pope upon his visit because he had taken a clear position on the matter.

"We know how he thinks about this, we know what the Catholic Church in Germany is doing to deal with the cases in order to ease this enormous pain," Seibert said.

In Berlin, the pope will be greeted by German President Christian Wulff in Bellevue Palace on Thursday, he will address the German parliament and speak to expected 260,000 people at a mass in Berlin''s Olympic stadium.

The address of the parliament is also an issue in Germany because of the separation of state and church in the country.

Some opposition lawmakers have said they will not attend his address to parliament, while the government stresses that it welcomed the speech by the leader of the Catholic church.

Roughly 30 percent of Germany''s 82 million (m) inhabitants are Catholic, an equal number are Lutheran, but the Church has been losing members in recent years.

Frank Welker, an activist supporting secession from church, is not surprised.

"As far as I know, there are no plans for a discussion to take place, and that would have been bitterly needed, given the current situation in which the Roman Catholic Church finds itself," he said.

Even an issue such as the refusal to allow remarried divorcees, such as President Christian Wulff, to accept communion sparks heated discussions over how the Church can hold up its claims of mercifulness and forgiveness.

The pontiff is due to hold a mass at an airfield in Freiburg, as well as a historic ecumenical service with German Lutherans in the home of the Reformation.