Pope a go for Austria next year; info on destination

Fresh from the Vatican Information Service:

"Benedict XVI received Mr. Heinz Fischer, the President of the Federal Republic of Austria, in an audience today. After, the President met with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State of His Holiness".

"In an atmosphere of great cordiality, the activities of the Catholic Church in Austrian society was discussed during the meetings, and joy was expressed on the good bilateral relations between the Holy See and Austria, as well as on the mutual harmony on the theme of the cultural and spiritual identity of Europe. Certain topics of great importance to today's world context were then taken into consideration: the promotion of dialogue between cultures and religions, in particular between Christianity and Islam, and refuting any sort of terrorism".

"The Holy Father gladly accepted the renewed invitation to visit the Marian Sanctuary of Mariazell next year, extended by the Austrian Federal President".

I was able to visit the shrine of Mariazell when I was in Austria.

A little info from Wikipedia:

[Mariazell] is the most important pilgrimage site in Austria and also has great meaning for Catholics in the neighboring countries to its east. The object of veneration is a miracle-working image of the Virgin, carved in lime-tree wood. This was presented to the place in 1157, and is now enshrined in a chapel lavishly adorned with objects of silver and other costly materials. The large church of which the chapel forms part was erected in 1644 as an expansion of a smaller church built by Louis I, King of Hungary, after a victory over the Turks in 1363. In the vicinity of Mariazell is the pretty Alpine lake of Erlaufsee.

... Most notable about the Mariazell Basilica, built in the 14th and 15th centuries but with a superb baroque interior, are the three towers on its western front. The church houses the Magna Mater Austriae (Great Mother of Austria) in its so-called Gnadenkapelle. The holy image is a small wooden Marian statue from the 13th century, which is clothed in a splendid garment and plays a great role in the popular devotions of many Austrian Catholics.

I wonder if the fact that the Basilica was originally constructed in celebration of the Austrians' victory over Muslim Turks will make it into any of Pope Benedict's remarks during his visit. Austria, from what I've heard, is one of the main opponents to the proposed inclusion of Turkey into the European Union. I doubt Pope Benedict's close ties with Austria are winning him any support from the Turks.