MANOPPELLO, Italy (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI on Friday prayed at a sanctuary in this tiny village in central Italy that is home to a shroud some believe was used to wipe the blood and sweat off Jesus Christ's face during his final hours before crucifixion.

It was the first time a pontiff has made a pilgrimage to the little-known, 17th-century sanctuary of Manoppello. Benedict arrived by helicopter and was greeted by a few thousand pilgrims waving flags with the Vatican's white and yellow colors and carrying banners that read, "Hurrah for the pope" and "Benedict, Benedict."

After arriving, the pontiff entered the sanctuary and prayed before the altar for about five minutes, then went behind it and prayed before the shroud for a few more minutes.

The "Holy Face" shroud does not enjoy the same fame as the Holy Shroud of Turin, believed to be Christ's burial cloth, but some experts say the images of Jesus on the two cloths can be perfectly superimposed. Skeptics say it appears to have been painted.

The Holy Face shroud, measuring 6.7 by 9.4 inches, depicts a man with long hair, a sparse beard and a half-open mouth. The thin veil is kept under glass. The image can be seen from both sides.

Benedict did not address the shroud's origins, as is usual with the Vatican, which is generally very cautious. "This is the reason for my visit. So that together we can try to better know the face of our Lord, so that from it we can find strength in love and peace that can show us the path," he said.

The cloth is believed to have been in Manoppello, about 125 miles east of Rome, since 1506. It was donated to the sanctuary in 1638, said its rector, the Rev. Carmine Cucinelli.

The sanctuary is visited every year by some 250,000 pilgrims, Cucinelli said. Officials hope the pope's visit will increase that number.

"We expect a lot from the great event honoring us," the mayor of the town of Manoppello, Gennaro Matarazzo, said ahead of the visit. "Starting from the day after Benedict XVI's visit, we believe the number of visits will double."

The pope has been spending time at his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, a hill town south of Rome. Later this month, he is scheduled to travel to his native Germany.