Pope Benedict XVI is celebrating Mass in the northern Italian town of Brescia on a pilgrimage to the birthplace of one of his predecessors, Paul VI.Thousands of faithful held umbrellas or pulled rain jackets tightly about them as a chilly rain fell Sunday in the town square hosting Mass.
In 1977, a year before Pope Paul VI died, he elevated German prelate Joseph Ratzinger to the rank of cardinal. Ratzinger took the name Benedict XVI when he was elected pontiff in 2005.
Benedict was scheduled to visit the hamlet of Consesio, where Paul was born, during the afternoon of his one-day pastoral pilgrimage.
Brescia, an industrial city, is about 90 kilometers (55 miles) east of Milan.
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